§s 


Mt#*"TV*X*r 


4    THSOLOGICi 


BR    1725    .C72    C7    1844 
Cranfield,    Richard. 
Memoir   of   Thomas   Cranfield, 
of    London 


MEMOIR 

OF 

THOMAS  CRANFIELD, 

OF     LONDON. 

BY  HIS  SON. 


"  TIT  \  AT  TlfnTJ    " 


ASSISTED  BY  REV.  DR.  HARRIS,  AUTHOR  OF  "  MAMMON, 
"THE  GREAT  COMMISSION,"  ETC. 


1VISED     BY     THE     COMMITTEE     OF     PUBLICATION. 


iFfrst  gmeucan  HtJttfou. 


BOSTON: 

MASSACHUSETTS  SABBATH  SCHOOL  SOCIETY, 
Depository,  No.  13  Cornhill. 

1844. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1844, 

By  CHRISTOPHER  C.  DEAN, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


INTRODUCTION 

TO  THE  AMERICAN  EDITION. 


The  following  pages  are  abridged 
from  the  English  edition  of  the  life  and 
writings  of  Thomas  Cranfield,  by  his 
son,  aided  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Harris, 
author  of  Mammon,  The  Great  Com- 
mission, &x.,  and  the  Rev.  James  Sher- 
man, successor  to  Rowland  Hill,  of 
Surrey  Chapel,  under  whose  ministry 
Mr.  Cranfield  sat  many  years. 

His  life  was  distinguished  by  great 
vicissitudes,  and  after  his  conversion,  it 
was  devoted,  with  little  intermission,  to 
the  temporal  and  spiritual  good  of  all 
over  whom  he  could  exert  an  influence, 
and  with  a  zeal  and  activity  almost 
unequalled.  We  know  not  whether  to 
admire  him  most  as  the  indefatigable 
Sabbath  and  infant  school  teacher,  the 
untiring  domestic  missionary,  tract  and 
Bible  distributor,  the  zealous  friend  of 
the  prisoners,  the  bold  reprover  of  vice 


IV  INTRODUCTION. 


in  every  form,  or  the  most  liberal  and 
bounteous  contributor  to  want  and  suf- 
fering, of  every  kind ;  praying  always 
that  all  might  be  made  heirs  of  heaven. 
For  nearly  fifty  years,  and  before  soci- 
eties were  formed,  as  they  have  been  in 
later  days,  he  went  about,  like  his  divine 
Master,  doing  good  to  every  variety  of 
want  and  woe,  cheerfully  giving  his  time 
and  his  property, — his  all, — to  instruct 
the  ignorant,  and  lead  sinners  to  the 
Saviour;  causing  hundreds  to  bless  God 
for  his  works  of  faith  and  labors  of  love. 
Honored  and  beloved,  this  eminent 
servant  of  the  Lord  Jesus  brought  forth 
fruit,  even  in  extreme  old  age,  until  he 
had  numbered  more  than  four-score 
years,  when  he  calmly  fell  asleep,  and 
went,  as  all  who  knew  him  doubted  not, 
to  receive  the  welcome  plaudit  of  "  Well 
done,  good  and  faithful  servant,  enter 
thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord."  That 
this  exceedingly  interesting  memoir  may 
cause  hundreds  in  our  land  to  copy  his 
example,  is  the  prayer  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  Sabbath  School  Society. 


INTRODUCTION 

TO  THE  ENGLISH  EDITION. 


The  following  Memoir  was  to  have  been 
accompanied  with  a  recommendatory  preface 
from  the  elegant  pen  of  Dr.  Harris,  who 
kindly  assisted  in  revising  the  MS.,  and,  from 
his  conviction  that  it  was  calculated  to  be 
extensively  useful,  promised  to  introduce  it 
to  the  notice  of  the  public.  Indisposition 
has,  however,  interfered  with  his  design,  and 
his  physician  has  recommended  his  abstinence 
from  whatever  mental  exertion  he  can  avoid. 
Under  these  circumstances,  it  has  been 
thought  advisable  to  publish  the  work  without 
further  delay,  in  the  anticipation  that,  in  a 
short  time,  the  Doctor's  convalescence  will 
enable  the  author  to  present  his  judgment  and 
commendation  of  the  Memoir. 

It  affords  me  great  pleasure  that  the  testi- 


VI  INTRODUCTION. 

mony  of  my  dear  friend,  Dr.  Harris,  so  entirely 
accords  with  my  own.  I  am  permitted  to 
say,  that  he  thinks  the  Memoir  so  instructive, 
so  interesting,  and  withal  so  well  written,  that 
its  general  excellence  is  its  own  recommenda- 
tion  ;  and  that  he  is  persuaded  the  book  will 
be  extensively  read  by  those  who  take  an 
interest  in  the  progress  of  the  Redeemer's 
kingdom,  and  especially  by  those  who  are 
engaged  in  the  spiritual  instruction  of  children. 
The  Life  of  Thomas  Cranfield  is  a 
standing  memorial  of  the  blessed  effects  which 
result  from  the  enlightened  zeal  and  Christian 
perseverance  of  one  man,  in  the  cause  of  the 
dear  Redeemer.  May  it  encourage  such  as 
labor  for  their  Master  amidst  much  infirmity 
and  opposition,  "  to  have  respect  unto  the 
recompense  of  reward  ;  " — to  cause  those 
in  the  Christian  church,  who  have  greater 
opportunities  and  talents  for  usefulness,  to 
blush  that  they  are  so  little  employed  for  the 
salvation  of  souls  ;  and  stir  up  every  individ- 
ual who  reads  it,  to  imitate  him  who  now 
"rests  from  his  labors,  and  whose  works  do 
follow  him."  J.  Sherman. 

Surrey  Chapel,  29th  November,  1839. 


'  UTHOR'S  PKEFACE. 


The  following  pages  have  been  compiled  at  the 
earnest  solicitation  of  a  numerous  body  of  friends, 
who  have  long  indulged  the  desire  of  viewing,  more 
minutely,  the  life  and  character  of  the  man  whose 
living  excellencies  they  have  often  felt  and  acknowl- 
edged ;  and  while  the  writer  feels  no  desire  to  elude 
the  scourge  of  fair  criticism,  by  clothing  himself  with 
apologies,  yet  he  considers  that  some  are  due  to  the 
public  fur  inviting  its  attention  to  a  production 
emanating  from  so  unskilful  a  pen. 

It  was  his  own  wish  that  the  papers  of  his  venerated 
parent  should  have  been  placed  in  the  hands  of  his 
esteemed  pastor,  the  Rev.  James  Sherman,  the 
successor  of  the  late  Rev.  Rowland  Hill,  of  Surrey 
Chapel,  London,  whose  ability  and  experience  would 


Vlll  PREFACE. 

have  enabled  him  to  delineate  the  peculiar  incidents 
in  the  life  of  the  deceased,  and  the  unusual  share 
which  he  acquired  in  the  affections  of  the  poor,  in  a 
manner  far  more  powerful  and  attractive  than  he  was 
capable  of  portraying  them.  His  wishes,  however, 
Avere  overruled  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  S.,  who,  with  a 
kindness  which  will  never  cease  to  be  gratefully 
remembered,  instructed  him  in  the  proper  arrange- 
ment of  the  work,  and  at  the  sacrifice  of  much  valu- 
able time,  revised  it  when  completed,  and  placed  it 
in  a  condition  to  meet  the  public  eye.  In  addition  to 
this,  the  author  received  the  valuable  assistance  of 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Harris,  author  of  Mammon,  who, 
notwithstanding  the  multiplicity  of  his  engagements, 
most  kindly  consented  to  examine  the  manuscript, 
and  to  write  a  preface  for  the  work,  which  latter 
service  he  was  unable  to  perform  in  consequence  of 
ill  health.  To  both  of  these  esteemed  ministers, 
therefore,  the  author  feels  himself  under  a  deep 
obligation,  as  to  them  this  volume  is  indebted  for 
much  of  its  interest  and  value. 

Considerable  difficulty  has  been  experienced  in 
fixing  the  precise  dates  of  some  of  the  transactions 
here  recorded ;  and  though  great  care  has  been 
taken  to  insert  them  in  their  proper  order,  yet  it  has 
been  discovered,  when  too  late  for  correction,  that 


PREFACE.  IX 

the  anecdote  relating  to  the  Rev.  John  Berridge,  in 
chapter  IV,  occurred  some  time  previous  to  the 
period  assigned  to  it. 

The  writer  feels  deeply  grateful  to  those  numerous 
individuals  who  have  so  kindly  aided  him  in  publishing 
this  work,  by  forwarding  their  names  as  subscribers. 

He  also  acknowledges,  with  gratitude,  the  kind 
assistance  which  he  has  received  from  several  friends 
who  have  furnished  him  with  much  information,  and 
forwarded  to  him  many  letters  of  the  deceased. 
These  have  materially  lightened  his  labors,  as  his 
father,  previous  to  his  death,  committed  a  number  of 
valuable  papers  to  the  flames,  because,  as  he  ex- 
pressed it,  they  smelt  of  self.  The  limits  of  this 
work,  however,  forbid  the  insertion  of  more  than  a 
very  few  of  his  letters,  and  such  only  have  been 
selected  as  tend  to  illustrate  some  peculiar  feature  in 
his  character. 

With  much  fear  and  trembling,  the  work  is  now 
commended  to  the  blessing  of  God,  and  to  the  favor 
of  the  public,  with  the  hope,  that  while  it  will  serve 
to  illustrate,  in  some  measure,  the  nature  of  true 
religion,  and  the  mysterious  but  all-wise  course  of 
Divine  Providence,  it  may  stimulate  others  to  greater 
zeal  in  the  service  of  Christ,  and  enkindle  in  them 
stronger  desires  for  the  extension  of  his  kingdom. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE. 

From  the  Birth  of  Mr.  Cranfield  to  his  Marriage,-     -     -       1 

CHAPTER  II. 

From  his  Marriage  to  his  Removal  to  Kingsland,  -    -    -    24 

CHAPTER  III. 

From  his  Removal  to   Kingsland   to   his   quitting  the 

London  Corresponding  Society,  -------46 

CHAPTER  IV. 

From  his  quitting  the  London  Corresponding  Society 

to  the  Opening  of  the  Mint  Sabbath  School,  -    -     -    68 

CHAPTER  V. 

From  the  Opening  of  the  Mint  School  to  the  Death  of 
Mr.  Nixon, 101 

CHAPTER  VI. 

From  the  Death  of  Mr.  Nixon   to   the  Death  of  Mr. 
Cranfield's  youngest  Son, 126 


C  ONTE  NTS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


From  the  Death  of  his  youngest  Son  to  the  Preaching 

of  Rev.  Rowland  Hill  in  the  Mint, 155 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

From  the  Preaching  of  Mr.  Hill  in  the  Mint  to  the 

Death  of  Mr.  Cranfield's  last  Wife, 178 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Last  Years,  Death  and  Funeral  of  Mr.  Cranfield,  -    -    -  197 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Person  and  Character  of  Mr.  Cranfield,    -    -    -    -  235 

CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Character  of  Mr.  Cranfield  as  a  Sabbath  School 
Teacher  and  Visiter  of  the  Afflicted, 262 


MEMOIR 


CHAPTER  I. 

FROM   THE   BIRTH    OF   THOMAS   CRANFIELD    TO    HIS 
MARRIAGE. 

The  subject  of  this  Memoir  was  born  on  the 
12th  of  March,  17.58,  in  the  parish  of  South- 
wark,  in  the  city  of  London,  and  was  baptized 
at  St.  Saviour's  Church.  He  was  the  only 
son  of  Thomas  Cranfield,  a  journeyman  labor-- 
er,  but  afterwards  a  fellowship-porter;  a  man 
totally  unlettered,  and  ignorant  of  the  great 
truths  of  Christianity,  although  outwardly 
moral  in  his  conduct.  His  mother  was  able 
to  read  pretty  fluently,  and  this  was  then  con- 
sidered no  ordinary  acquisition  for  a  woman 
in  her  sphere  of  life. 

His  father  had  but  two  children — a  son  and 
a  daughter;  and  being  sensible  of  the  disad- 
vantages under  which  he  had  labored,  from 
1 


M  E  M  O I R     OF 


the  want  of  proper  education,  he  was  resolved 
that  his  offspring  should  receive  the  benefit  of 
early  instruction.  Accordingly,  at  seven  years 
of  age,  Thomas  was  sent  to  the  parochial 
school  of  St  Mary  Overie,  Southwark,  and 
continued  there  until  he  was  fourteen.  He 
was,  however,  averse  to  instruction,  and  impa- 
tient of  control;  and  being  naturally  of  a  fiery 
temper,  he  would  not  submit  to  the  discipline  and 
restraint  of  a  well-regulated  school,  but  played 
the  truant  for  two  or   three  successive  weeks. 

For  these  offences  he  was  severely  punished 
by  his  master  and  his  father,  but  without  effect. 
As  he  grew  older,  his  aversion  to  books  be- 
came still  more  manifest;  he  was  generally 
the  last  in  his  class,  while  in  fights  and  con- 
tentions he  was  always  foremost.  Many  were 
the  pugilistic  encounters  which  took  place 
among  his  schoolfellows  through  his  influence; 
and  often  has  he  induced  them  to  sally  out  in 
a  body  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  the  schol- 
ars of  some  neio-hborino-  school.  These  dan- 
gerous  contentions  were  sometimes  carried  on 
toamost  alarming  extent,  particularly  one  head- 
ed by  him  on  London  Bridge,  in  which  he  and 
several  of  his  companions  were  severely  wound- 
ed, and  some  were  carried  home  almost  lifeless. 

At  this  time,  he  was  addicted  to  the   most 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  6 

vicious  practices.  In  a  letter  written  to  a 
friend,  shortly  before  his  decease,  he  states, 
"I  can  say  with  Mr.  Whiterleld,  that  I  was  fro- 
ward  from  my  earliest  days.  I  was  so  brutish 
as  to  hate  instruction,  and  shun  all  opportuni- 
ties of  receiving  it.  I  can  date  very  early 
acts  of  lying,  filthy  talking,  profanity,  Sabbath- 
breaking,  purloining  money  from  my  mother's 
pocket  before  she  was  up;  and  once  I  stole 
the  brass  hooks  from  the  gallery  of  a  church 
in  Monkwell  street,  where  my  grandfather  was 
the  pew-opener.  Indeed,  it  would  be  impossi- 
ble to  mention  all  the  sins  and  offences  of  my 
younger  days,  for  which  my  heart  would  fail 
me  in  this  recital,  did  I  not  believe  that  I  have 
truly  repented  of  them,  and  were  I  not  assured 
that  Jesus  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for 
me."  He  was  likewise  very  cruel  in  his  dis- 
position, especially  towards  the  brute  creation. 
To  torment  horses,  dogs,  sheep,  pigs  and  cats, 
would  afford  him  the  greatest  merriment  and 
delight. 

St.  Jude  speaks  of  persons  being  "preserved 
in  Christ  Jesus  and  called."  Such  was  evi- 
dently the  case  with  this  youth,  who  experi- 
enced some  most  remarkable  instances  of 
providential  deliverance.  Once  he  fell  into  a 
deep  muddy  ditch,  from  which  he  was  extricat- 


4  MEMOIR     OF 

ed  with  much  difficulty,  and  apparently  lifeless. 
At  another  time,  when  crossing  the  river 
Thames  in  a  boat,  he  fell  overboard,  but  was 
picked  up  by  a  fisherman,  who  was  providen- 
tially pursuing  his  occupation  when  the  acci- 
dent happened. 

None  of  these  things,  however,  suitably 
affected  him;  he  grew  more  hardened  in  sin, 
and  imbibed  a  still  stronger  hatred  to  every 
thing  like  instruction.  The  consequence  was, 
that  when  removed  from  school,  he  was 
scarcely  able  to  read  the  New  Testament,  and 
could  write  but  indifferently. 

On  attaining  his  fourteenth  year,  his  father 
apprenticed  him  to  Mr.  Poole,  a  respectable 
tailor  in  the  city,  who  took  great  interest  in 
his  youthful  charge,  and  labored  to  the  utmost 
of  his  power,  to  promote  his  moral  and  spiritual 
improvement.  He  took  him  twice  every  Sab- 
bath to  public  worship  at  Haberdasher's  Hall, 
where  he  heard  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gibbon;  but  the 
service  to  him  was  so  extremely  wearisome 
that  he  often  endeavored,  though  in  vain,  to 
prevail  on  his  master  to  excuse  his  attendance. 

Mr.  Poole,  knowing  the  depraved  inclina- 
tions of  his  apprentice,  would  not  lose  sight  of 
him  on  the  Sabbath,  and  thus,  like  Doeg  the 
Edomite,  he  was  ''detained  before  the  Lord." 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  O 

Fifteen  months  passed  away  in  this  manner, 
during  which  time  he  had  made  considerable 
progress,  not  only  in  his  business,  but  also  in 
reading  and  writing;  but  being  weary  of  re- 
straint, he  meditated  his  escape,  and  an  occur- 
rence soon  furnished  him  with  an  opportunity 
of  carrying  his  design  into  execution.  His 
master  had  a  favorite  bird,  and  Thomas  was 
ordered  to  clean  out  his  cage;  and  leaving 
the  door  of  the  prison  open,  the  bird,  being  as 
great  a  lover  of  liberty  as  his  attendant, 
quickly  made  his  escape.  For  this  negligence 
the  youth  was  threatened  with  punishment; 
and  being  resolved  to  abscond  from  his  situa- 
tion, he  thought  this  a  fitting  opportunity. 
Therefore  immediately  packing  up  his  clothes 
and  other  articles,  he  left  his  place,  and  trav- 
elled out  of  the  city  towards  St.  Albans,  where 
he  arrived  the  same  evening,  and  found  a  lodg- 
ing, for  which  he  paid  two  pence.  He  rose 
early  the  following  morning,  and  set  forward 
with  great  haste  for  Northampton,  a  distance 
of  forty-five  miles,  which  he  reached  the  same 
evening.  The  following  morning  found  him 
on  his  way  to  Coventry,  and  here  his  stock  of 
money  being  exhausted,  he  sold  his  new  suit 
of  clothes  for  half  a  guinea.  At  this  city  he 
rested  one  day,    and  then  pushed   forward  to 


6  MEMOIR     OF 

Birmingham,  where  he  hoped  to  obtain  em- 
ployment. 

Mr.  Poole,  upon  hearing  that  his  apprentice 
had  absconded,  immediately  acquainted  his 
parents,  who  sent  in  all  directions  to  ascertain 
the  place  of  his  concealment,  not  doubting  that 
he  was  somewhere  about  the  town.  But  after 
fruitlessly  searching  for  him  many  days,  they 
gave  up  all  hopes  of  ever  seeing  him  again, 
believing  that  he  was  drowned. 

Upon  his  arrival  at  Birmingham,  not  know- 
ing any  person  to  whom  he  could  apply  for 
employment  or  assistance,  he  proceeded  to 
the  market-place,  and  endeavored  to  excite  a 
feeling  of  interest  in  the  minds  of  the  butchers 
and  others,  by  representing  himself  as  an  or- 
phan. In  the  day  time  he  would  stand  in  the 
market-place  for  hire,  and  at  night  would 
crawl  beneath  the  stalls  to  rest.  Unable  to 
obtain  employment,  and  reduced  to  great  ne- 
cessity, he  followed  the  coal  carts,  assisting  to 
carry  the  coal  into  the  purchasers'  houses, 
and  picking  up  various  articles  in  the  streets 
for  sale.  He  now  began  to  repent  of  his  rash 
and  disobedient  conduct,  and  being  reduced 
almost  literally  to  the  food  that  the  swine  ate, 
like  the  Prodigal  he  turned  his  thoughts  to  his 
father's  house,  where  there  was  "bread  enough 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  I 

and  to  spare;"  but  a  sense  of  shame,  a  want  of 
true  repentance,  and  of  money  for  his  journey, 
prevented  him  from  returning  home. 

All  his  endeavors  failing  to  procure  proper 
subsistence,  and  being  pressed  hard  by  hunger, 
he  was  reduced,  as  his  last  resource,  to  sell 
his  Bible,  of  which  he  was  extremely  choice, 
it  having  been  presented  to  him  by  his  mother. 
At  length,  however,  he  obtained  employment 
at  a  tailor's,  for  whom  he  agreed  to  work 
merely  for  his  food.  But  here  he  was  half- 
starved;  his  employer  being  a  drunken  charac- 
ter, had  but  little  money  for  any  thing  but  liquor, 
and  poor  Thomas  often  retired  to  rest  without 
having  tasted  any  food  since  the  morning. 

To  add  to  his  misery,  his  brutish  employer 
had  a  favorite  dog,  with  which  he  was  obliged 
to  share  his  meals.  This  dog's  name  was 
Bob;  and  his  master  often  stood  over  Thomas 
while  the  scanty  provision  was  divided,  and 
then  compelled  him  to  toss  up  a  penny  with 
Bob,  to  determine  by  lot  which  should  have 
the  best  share  of  the  food. 

Finding  it  impossible  to  exist  in  his  situation 
he    at   length  found  another  tailor,    who  con- 
sented to  take  him,  if  he  would  bind  himself  to 
stay  with  him  seven  years.     Here   he  had  to 
contend  with  great  hardships.     His  employer 


8  MEMOIR     OF 

was  extremely  severe  and  unmerciful,  fre- 
quently compelling  him  to  work  from  four 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  until  eleven  or  twelve 
at  night,  for  many  days  together,  while  he  was 
badly  clothed  and  fed.  Upon  the  slightest 
offence,  and  sometimes  for  no  offence  at  all, 
he  was  horsewhipped  in  the  most  severe  and 
degrading  manner,  although  he  now  strove  to 
the  utmost  of  his  power  to  serve  and  please  his 
hard-hearted  master.  Notwithstanding  the 
cruel  treatment  he  here  experienced,  he  con- 
tinued in  this  situation  for  more  than  three 
years,  when  having  made  considerable  pro- 
gress in  his  business,  he  was  resolved  to  leave 
his  tyrannical  employer,  and  endeavor  to  gain  a 
subsistence  by  what  was  called  "whipping  the 
cat;"  a  term  given  by  tailors  to  the  practice 
of  jobbing  at  the  houses  of  private  individuals. 
Watching  his  opportunity,  therefore,  he  se- 
cretly left  Birmingham  and  proceeded  to 
Brido-enorth.  Here  he  continued  but  a  short 
time;  for  finding  it  extremely  difficult  to  obtain 
employment,  he  resolved  to  return  to  London, 
and  to  submit  himself  to  his  old  master,  during 
the  proper  term  of  his  apprenticeship.  With 
this  determination  he  left  B.  in  August,  1777, 
and  was  on  his  road  to  Worcester,  when  he 
met  with  a   recruiting   party  belonging  to  the 


THOMAS     CRANF1ELD.  V 

39th  regiment  of  foot,  and  was  by  them  in- 
duced to  enlist  into  his  Majesty's  service,  upon 
the  understanding  that  he  should  not  be  sent 
against  the  Americans,  whom  he  regarded  as 
his  fellow-countrymen,  and  their  resistance 
against  the  oppressive  acts  of  the  British  gov- 
ernment as  lawful  and  right. 

War  was  at  this  time  waging  in  America 
with  extreme  violence,  and  great  exertions 
were  making  by  the  British  government  to  re- 
duce the  revolted  provinces  to  obedience.  All 
Europe  appeared  to  be  in  a  state  of  agitation, 
and  it  was  feared  the  courts  of  France  and 
Spain  would  soon  take  part  in  the  contest,  and 
declare  on  the  side  of  the  Americans.  It  was, 
therefore  of  the  highest  importance  that  the 
strong  fortress  of  Gibraltar,  a  place  so  impor- 
tant to  the  commercial  interests  of  Great  Brit- 
ain, should  be  strengthened  and  put  in  a  proper 
state  of  defence.  With  this  view  the  39th  reg- 
iment was  ordered  to  hold  itself  in  readiness  for 
marching,  on  the  first  summons,  to  join  the  gar- 
rison there.  These  apprehensions  were  but  too 
well  founded,  for  very  soon  afterwards  the 
French  Government  issued  a  hostile  declaration 
against  Great  Britain,  which  was  followed  by 
one  from  the  court  of  Spain. 

As  soon  as  Cranfield  had  joined  the  regi- 


10  MEMOIR     OF 

ment,  he  was  marched  forward  to  Wolver- 
hampton, and  there  ascertaining  that  he  was 
shortly  to  leave  England  and  embark  for  Gib- 
raltar, he  began  to  reflect  seriously  upon  his 
situation.  He  thought  of  home,  his  parents, 
his  sister,  his  old  master  and  mistress,  all  of 
whom  were  endeared  to  him  by  the  recollec- 
tion of  their  constant  though  fruitless  endeav- 
ors to  promote  his  happiness  and  improvement. 
The  ingratitude  he  had  shown,  and  the  rebel- 
lious and  undutiful  conduct  he  had  manifested 
towards  those  who  had  been  solicitous  only  for 
his  welfare,  stung  him  with  bitter  anguish;  all 
that  filial  affection  for  which  he  was  afterwards 
remarkable,  now  seemed  to  manifest  itself,  and 
he  was  resolved  to  write  to  his  parents,  ex- 
pressing his  contrition  for  his  disobedience, 
and  begging  their  forgiveness,  and  informing 
them  of  his  present  situation.  He  reflected 
that  he  was  now  about  to  leave  his  native 
country,  and  in  all  probability  should  never 
more  return  to  it;  and  the  thought  of  never 
again  seeing  those  whom  he  loved,  and  whom 
he  had  so  deeply  injured,  distressed  him  ex- 
ceedingly, and  induced  him  to  make  every 
inquiry  as  to  the  probability  of  his  going  to 
London  previous  to  embarking  for  a  foreign 
shore.      It   was   therefore   with   the    greatest 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  11 

delight  that  he  received  the  information  of  his 
general  being  then  in  town,  and  the  probabil- 
ity there  was,  that  his  regiment  would  soon  be 
ordered  to  join  him  there.  He  accordingly 
wrote  to  his  father  to  the  foregoing  effect,  and 
shortly  after  received  a  kind  and  affectionate 
reply,  dictated  by  him. 

It  was  just  previous  to  this  incident,  that  the 
Sovereign  Disposer  of  all  events,  without 
whom  not  a  sparrow  falleth  to  the  ground,  had 
brought  about  an  event  of  the  utmost  impor- 
tance, in  its  nature  and  consequences,  to  the 
family  of  Cranfield.  The  father  of  Thomas, 
strolling  one  Sabbath  day  along  the  streets  of 
London,  came  near  the  Church  of  St.  Anns, 
Blackfriars,  just  as  several  of  the  congrega- 
tion were  entering.  Prompted  by  curiosity, 
he  went  in  with  the  crowd,  and  heard  the 
Rev.  William  Romaine.  The  word  under  the 
guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  was  brought  with 
power  home  to  his  mind;  so  that  he  became 
convinced  of  sin,  and  of  the  necessity  of  salva- 
tion through  the  atoning  blood  of  the%Saviour 
of  men.  He  now  felt  the  value  of  the  Bible; 
viewing  it  as  a  mine  in  which  were  hid  rich 
and  inexhaustible  treasures,  he  felt  an  uncon- 
querable desire  to  explore  it  for  himself;  he 
therefore  sat  down,  at  the  age  of  forty-two,  to 


12  MEMOIR     OF 

learn  his  letters,  and  in  a  short  space  of  time, 
was  enabled,  by  the  assistance  of  his  wife,  to 
read  with  considerable  fluency  any  part  of  the 
inspired  volume.  Being  now  instructed  by  the 
wisest  of  all  teachers,  he  became  qualified  to 
give  his  son  the  very  best  advice;  and  upon 
the  receipt  of  his  letter,  he  sent  an  answer, 
expressing  the  distress  which  his  rash  conduct 
had  brought  upon  his  parents,  who  for  so 
many  years  had  received  no  tidings  of  him; 
assuring  him,  nevertheless,  of  their  continued 
regard  and  affection  for  one  they  had  long  con- 
sidered as  dead,  but  who  they  hoped  would  be 
henceforth  steady  in  his  conduct,  read  diligent- 
ly his  Bible,  and  by  no  means  neglect  prayer. 
This  letter  removed  a  great  burthen  from 
the  mind  of  their  long  absent,  wayward  son, 
who  was  deeply  conscious  that  he  merited  no 
such  tenderness,  and  he  took  an  early  oppor- 
tunity to  give  the  following  reply. 

"  Wolverhampton,  Sept.  26th,  1777. 
"Honored  Father, — I  received  your  kind 
letter:  am  glad  to  hear  that  you  are  all  well. 
I  return  you  my  thanks  for  your  good  advice; 
and  I  hope  to  make  it  my  constant  study,  on 
all  occasions,  to  obey  your  commands  in  every 
thing.     I  hope  that  you   and  my  dear  mother 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  13 

will  make  yourselves  as  contented  as  you  pos- 
sibly can  about  me.  I  expect  to  be  in  London 
very  soon,  as  we  intend  to  set  out  from  here 
in  three  days.  I  shall  make  it  my  business  to 
see  you  all  as  soon  as  I  arrive.  I  doubt  not 
you  were  greatly  surprised  to  receive  my  letter, 
after  hearing  nothing  from  me  for  so  many  years. 
Please  to  give  my  love  to  my  sister. 

I  remain,  honored  father,  your  undutiful  son, 
Thomas  Cranfield." 

The  pleasing  anticipations  of  seeing  his  pa- 
rents before  he  left  England  were  not  realized, 
as  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  take  a  different 
and  shorter  route  to  Portsmouth,  where,  on 
his  arrival,  he  was  embarked  on  board  the 
ship  Mary,  where  he  wrote  another  letter  to 
his  parents,  assuring  them  of  his  disappoint- 
ment in  not  being  indulged  with  an  opportunity 
of  seeing  them,  and  of  his  continued  love  and 
affection;  designating  himself  again  as  their 
undutiful  son. 

From  Gibraltar  he  wrote  them  on  the  30th 
of  November,  saying,  "I  am  in  want  of  nothing 
at  present,  and  meet  with  very  good  friends, 
who  give  me  good  advice." 

Here  he  made  rapid  progress  in  becoming 
an  expert  soldier,  though  he  found  it  to  be 
2 


14  MEMOIR     OF 

galling  work.  As  he  could  now  read  and 
write  tolerably  well,  he  was  esteemed  in  the 
regiment  a  good  scholar,  and  he  became  a 
favorite  with  his  commanding  officer,  being 
courageous,  industrious,  neat  in  person,  and 
attentive  to  orders.  So  soon,  therefore,  as  he 
became  master  of  his  exercise,  his  regular  du- 
ties as  a  private  were  discontinued,  and  he 
was  employed  in  making  clothes  for  the  regi- 
ment, which  added  much  to  his  income. 

In  a  letter  to  his  parents,  dated  the  25th  of 
March,  1778,  he  says: — 

"I  return  you  the  most  unfeigned  thanks 
for  the  fatherly  advice  you  have  given  me  from 
time  to  time;  be  assured  I  shall  lay  it  up  in 
my  heart,  as  the  most  valuable  treasure  that 
has  ever  been  committed  to  my  charge:  and 
by  the  assistance  of  my  Redeemer,  I  shall  do 
my  duty  to  him.  and  to  every  person  that  is 
put  in  authority  over  me.  I  work  now  at  the 
regiment's  clothing,  and  do  well  at  present. 
I  shall  pray  God  to  give  me  grace  to  go 
through  all  the  hardships  that  are  before  me. 

"Your  ever  loving  and  dutiful  son  until  death, 
Thomas  Cranfield." 

It  must  not,  however,  be  supposed,  from 
hts  using  such  language,  that  he  was  a  con- 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  15 

verted  person.  His  heart  was  as  yet  un- 
touched by  divine  grace,  and  he  was  still  liv- 
ing without  God,  and  without  any  realizing 
sense  of  the  awful  wickedness  of  his  own  heart. 
He  found  his  father's  letters  urging  upon  him 
the  importance  of  attention  to  the  concerns  of 
his  soul,  and  he  introduced  such  expressions, 
occasionally  in  reply,  as  he  afterwards  re- 
marked, merely  to  please  his  parents,  and  to 
induce  them  to  entertain  a  more  favorable 
opinion  of  him. 

From  this  period  nothing  of  particular  impor- 
tance occurred  until  the  summer  of  1779,  when 
the  Spaniards,  having  issued  a  hostile  manifesto 
against  Great  Britain,  laid  siege  to  Gibraltar, 
its  reduction  being  one  of  the  principal  objects 
of  the  court  of  Spain  in  becoming  a  party  to 
the  war.  This  was  well  known  to  the  gallant 
commander  of  the  fortress,  General  Elliot,  who 
rightly  judged  that  no  exertion  would  be  want- 
ing, nor  expense  spared,  to  accomplish  this 
favorite  object.  Accordingly,  every  precau- 
tion was  taken  and  every  means  employed  that 
prudence  could  suggest,  or  ingenuity  devise, 
to  make  a  vigorous  defence. 

The  town  and  fortress  of  Gibraltar  stand 
upon  a  rocky  eminence  in  Andalusia,  the  most 
southern  province  in  Spain.  The  rock  is  con- 
nected with  the  continent  by  an  isthmus  of  low 


16  MEMOIR     OF 

sand,  and  almost  wholly  surrounded  by  the 
waters  of  the  Mediterranean,  forms  a  promon- 
tory three  miles  in  length  from  north  to  south. 
Cn  this  isthmus  the  Spaniards  encamped  in 
the  month  of  June,  to  the  number  of  20,000 
men,  while  the  garrison  was  defended  by  less 
than  6000.  Thus  all  communication  was  cut 
off  from  the  continent,  while  Spanish  armed 
vessels  and  gun  boats  sailed  in  all  directions, 
to  prevent  any  supplies  being  furnished  on  the 
sea  side.  At  the  sight  of  the  enemy,  Cran- 
field's  spirit  was  much  excited,  and  burning 
with  desire  to  be  actively  employed  against  the 
Spaniards,  he  requested  his  commander  to 
allow  him  to  take  his  share  in  the  duties  and 
dangers  of  the  camp,  from  which,  by  his  em- 
ployment, he  was  exempt. 

October  6,  1779,  he  thus  wrote  to  his  father: 

' 'Every  thing  now  wears  the  face  of  war. 
Upwards  of  20,000  soldiers  are  now  in  the 
camp  before  us,  whom  we  hourly  expect  to 
open  their  batteries  upon  us.  On  Sunday 
morning,  12th  Sept.,  about  seven  o'clock, 
we  gave  them  upwards  of  six  thousand  32 
pound-shots  in  less  than  half  an  hour,  which 
made    them     quickly    run    into    their    lines. 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD 


17 


Every  now  and  then  we  fire  on  them,  which  they 
have  hitherto  refused  to  return.  We  expect, 
however,  they  will  soon  storm  us;  though  unless 
they  starve  us  out,  it  is  impossible  they  can 
take  the  garrison.  There  is  no  fresh  meat  in 
the  place,  and  provisions  are  very  dear.  The 
other  day  a  boat  succeeded  in  getting  in  with 
some  sheep,  which  sold  for  four  shillings  and 
ninepence  a  pound,  and  there  was  almost 
fighting  for  it  among  the  inhabitants." 

It  was  not  until  the  12th  of  April,  1781 ,  that 
the  Spaniards  opened  their  fire  upon  the  town 
and  fortress,  when  they  poured  in  such  a  pro- 
digious discharge  of  shot  and  shells  from  their 
forts,  lines,  and  advanced  works,  as  created 
amonij  the  inhabitants  the  greatest  consterna- 
tion  and  alarm.  So  terrible  was  the  sight,  that 
the  oldest  veteran  in  the  regiment  declared  that 
he  had  never  witnessed  any  thing  equal  to  it 
The  feelings  of  the  young  soldier  will  be  best 
described  in  the  following  extract  of  a  letter, 
written  more  than  twenty  years  after  the 
event. 

"I  shall  never  forget  the  day  the  Spaniards 
commenced      their     attack     upon     Gibraltar. 


18  MEMOIR     OF 

It  was  in  the  afternoon,  and  I  was  on  duty. 
Never  having  heard  the  whistling  of  a  can- 
non-shot before,  I  was  filled  with  horror 
beyond  expression.  My  old  sins,  and  the 
roaring  of  the  artillery,  produced  strange  com- 
motion in  my  soul,  and  it  seemed  as  if  I  was 
about  being  summoned  before  my  final  Judge, 
to  be  turned  into  hell.  My  regiment  lay  in 
barracks  in  the  town.  I  dreaded  to  go  near 
them,  but  duty  called,  and  I  was  compelled  to 
obey.  I  sat  up  that  night  to  watch  the  shells. 
The  town  was  soon  in  flames,  and  the  inhabit- 
ants left  their  property  to  seek  shelter  in  the 
caves  of  the  rocks.  The  soldiers,  finding  the 
place  deserted,  commenced  a  general  search 
for  plunder.  I,  however,  got  used  to  this 
state  of  things,  and  in  a  short  time  cared  noth- 
ing whatever  for  either  shot  or  shells." 

Cranfield  was  kind  and  obliging;  conse- 
quently much  beloved  by  his  comrades;  his 
willingness  also  to  lend  or  read  to  them  in  his 
mother's  Bible,  which  he  had  again  procured 
before  he  left  England,  and  which,  as  he  un- 
derstood, was  the  only  one  in  the  regiment, 
gained  for  him  much  of  their  esteem  and  re- 
gard. His  general  good  conduct  was  likewise 
noticed  by  his  colonel,  who,   in  consequence, 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  19 

raised  him  to  the  rank  of  corporal,  and  entrust- 
ed him  with  several  important  commissions, 
which  he  executed  with  credit  to  himself,  and 
to  the  approbation  of  the  officers. 

The  care  which  he  had  for  the  lives  of  the 
men  placed  under  his  command  was  praise- 
worthy. Though  reckless  of  danger  himself, 
he  never  would  consent  to  expose  the  lives  of 
others  unnecessarily.  Many  have  been  saved 
through  his  instrumentality,  not  only  from  the 
shots  of  the  enemy,  but  also  from  the  rigor  of 
military  law. 

It  may  reasonably  be  supposed  that  in  a 
siege  carried  on  with  so  much  vigor,  and  so 
protracted,  the  dangers  to  which  this  gallant 
soldier  was  exposed  were  many  and  great. 
On  one  occasion,  when  appointed  to  guard  a 
magazine,  which  the  enemy  were  desirous  of 
destroying,  the  firing  was  so  hot  that  curiosity 
prompted  him  to  reckon  the  number  of  shells 
that  fell  near  him;  and  in  one  hour  he  counted 
no  less  than  eighty,  besides  cannon  balls. 

His  escape  under  such  circumstances  can 
only  be  accounted  for  by  the  special  protection 
of  that  Being  who  was  preparing  him  for  other 
duty  under  the  Captain  of  his  salvation.  At 
times,  after  having  been  on  duty  for  several 
hours   together  without  receiving  any  injury, 


20  MEMOIR     OF 

another,  upon  taking  his  place,  has  been  in- 
stantly killed.  Frequently,  also,  when  over- 
come with  fatigue,  he  has  lain  all  night  upon 
the  wet  ground  without  injury. 

Such  was  the  scarcity  of  provisions  that  fre- 
quently driven  by  hunger  he  has  been  com- 
pelled to  eat,  not  only  the  flesh  of  dogs  and 
cats,  but  also  of  rats,  which  at  times  afforded 
a  welcome  repast.  Bread  at  this  time  was 
selling  in  the  town  at  a  guinea  a  quartern  loaf, 
and  even  at  this  price  it  could  with  difficulty  be 
procured.  A  small  leg  of  mutton  at  one  time 
was  sold  for  £3. 12 — a  goose  for  ,£3;  cheese  and 
butter  were  five  shillings,  and  tea  two  guineas  a 
pound.  The  entrails  of  a  pig  or  ox  were  eager- 
ly purchased  at  four  shillings  and  six  pence  per 
pound.  Vegetables  were  equally  scarce  and 
dear.  For  weeks  the  garrison  were  obliged 
to  subsist  on  four  ounces  of  rice  a  day  for  each 
man,  and  their  valiant  General  Elliot  was  the 
first  to  confine  himself  to  this  allowance,  a  fact 
stated  in  the  history  of  that  almost  unparalleled 
siege. 

In  the  year  1782,  the  Spanish  monarch,  hav- 
ing accomplished  the  reduction  of  Minorca, 
turned  his  whole  attention  to  the  siege  of  Gib- 
raltar. Duke  de  Crillon,  the  conqueror  of 
Minorca,  was  appointed  captain-general  of  the 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  21 

French  and  Spanish  armies,  which  now 
amounted  to  forty  thousand  men,  and  these, 
together  with  forty-seven  sail  of  the  line, 
besides  floating  batteries,  frigates,  and  other 
vessels  of  war,  were  employed  for  this  great 
enterprise.  An  attack  was  made  on  the  13th 
Sept.,  1782,  which  ended  in  blowing  up  the 
battering  ships,  and  great  destruction  to  the 
allied  forces.  Corporal  Cranfield  most  gal- 
lantly maintained  his  post;  he  toiled  incessantly 
all  that  morning,  and  about  two  o'clock  saw 
the  battering  ship,  which  he  had  been  so  long 
assisting  to  destroy,  was  on  fire.  His  joy  at 
this  success  was  unbounded.  He  danced  like 
a  maniac,  and  shouted,  victory!  victory!  so 
long  and  so  loud  that  at  length  his  voice  failed 
him,  and  it  was  some  days  before  he  recov- 
ered it.  In  this  dreadful  encounter  he  escaped 
unhurt,  with  the  exception  of  a  slight  wound  in 
the  leg  by  a  splinter  from  the  rock.  The 
Lord,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  thus  preserved 
the  life  of  this  intrepid  soldier,  for  the  perform- 
ance of  acts  of  benevolence  and  mercy,  and 
that  he  might  afterwards  become  a  good  sol- 
dier of  Christ  Jesus. 

How  awful  are  the  effects  of  war!  It  calls 
into  exercise  the  worst  passions  of  human  na- 
ture, and   leads    a   man   to  triumph  over  the 


2*2  MEMOIR     OF 

sufferings  of  his  fellow- man,  and  to  rejoice  at 
his  defeat  an  1  destruction.  But  truly  horrific 
is  the  thought  of  thousands  and  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  the  human  family  being  thus  launched 
into  the  eternal  world  without  a  moment's 
time  for  serious  reflection,  or  an  opportunity  of 
preparing  to  meet  their  God.  The  mind  sick- 
ens at  the  contemplation,  and  turns  from  it 
with  disgust  and  abhorrence.  Of  the  number 
that  fell  on  that  memorable  day,  how  few  can 
we  suppose  were  ready  to  depart  and  be  with 
Christ.  Mr.  Cranfield  in  after  life  often  de- 
clared that  in  his  regiment  he  knew  not  one 
pious  man;  nor  can  we  suppose  the  defeated 
allies  were  much  better  instructed  in  the 
things  of  God. 

Though  all  hopes  of  taking  Gibraltar  by 
open  force  were  now  abandoned,  the  Spaniards 
still  kept  up  a  vigorous  blockade  by  sea  and 
land.  On  the  11th  of  October  the  garrison 
was  greatly  relieved  by  the  arrival  of  a  large 
cargo  of  provisions  from  England,  which  Lord 
Howe,  by  a  masterly  manoeuvre,  succeeded 
in  landing  in  face  of  a  superior  fleet. 

In  1783,  Corporal  Cranfield,  through  his 
good  behaviour,  was  appointed  master-tailor 
to  the  regiment,  which  employment  was  the 
means  of  supplying  him  with  an  income  supe- 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  23 

rior  to  that  of  many  of  the  commissioned  offi- 
cers. He  now  applied  himself  industriously 
to  business,  and  succeeded  in  amassing  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  property ;  but  one  evening, 
while  absent,  a  shell  broke  through  their  quar- 
ters and  destroyed  the  building,  together  with 
all  that  he  possessed.  This  was  a  severe  loss, 
especially  as  he  expected  soon  to  return  to 
England,  without  the  opportunity  of  repairing 
it;  but  it  was,  nevertheless,  wisely  overruled 
by  divine  Providence  for  his  ultimate  good. 

In  September,  1783,  the  preliminaries  of 
peace  having  been  signed,  the  siege  was 
raised,  and  on  the  20th  of  the  same  month  he 
was  married  to  a  most  amiable  person,  who 
had  only  just  entered  her  sixteenth  year.  So 
great  was  the  estimation  in  which  the  parties 
were  held,  that  Lieut.  Gen.  Boyd  was  present 
at  the  marriage  ceremony,  and  gave  away  the 
bride;  and  now  finding  himself  in  possession 
of  the  object  of  his  affections,  and  the  war 
having  terminated,  he  looked  forward  to  a  state 
of  uninterrupted  happiness  and  prosperity. 


24  MEMOIR     OF 

CHAPTER  II. 

FROM  HIS  MARRIAGE  TO  HIS  REMOVAL  TO  KL\GSLAND. 

The  period  at  length  arrived  when  Mr. 
Cranfield  was  to  leave  Gibraltar,  where,  since 
the  year  1777,  he  had  been  for  the  greater  part 
of  the  period  of  six  years,  actively  engaged  in 
his  Majesty's  service,  in  which  he  had  been 
exposed  to  such  hardships,  fatigues,  and  dan- 
gers, as  none  but  those  possessed  of  the  strong- 
est constitution  could  have  endured.  At  one 
time,  the  scurvy  had  made  such  inroads  upon 
his  constitution,  not  having  tasted  fresh  pro- 
visions for  nearly  two  years  and  a  half,  that 
his  life  was  in  imminent  danger;  but  a  diligent 
and  persevering  use  of  lemon-juice,  of  which 
he  could  obtain  frequent  supplies,  proved,  by 
the  blessing  of  God,  the  means  of  counteract- 
ing the  baneful  effects  of  the  disorder.  On  the 
morning  of  the  30th  of  October,  1783,  he, 
with  his  regiment,  embarked  in  a  man-of-war 
for  England,  where,  however,  he  did  not  arrive 
till  the  December  following.  On  his  applica- 
tion for  his  discharge,  the  colonel  of  the  rejn- 
ment  expressed  his  unwillingness  to   part  with 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  25 

such  a  brave  soldier,  and  offered  him  the  sum 
of  five  guineas,  and  further  promotion  if  he 
would  remain  in  the  army;  but  as  he  had  writ- 
ten to  his  father,  and  his  mind  was  entirely- 
made  up  on  the  subject,  the  offer  was  respect- 
fully declined,  and  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged, to  the  universal  regret  of  both  officers 
and  men.  Every  thing  being  now  in  readi- 
ness, he  waited  only  the  arrival  of  his  wife,  to 
take  his  departure  for  London.  Day,  however, 
passed  after  day,  without  any  tidings  being 
heard  of  her  or  of  the  transport  in  which  she 
had  embarked.  His  anxiety  of  mind  became 
almost  insupportable,  and  if  he  could  have  ob- 
tained a  vessel,  he  would  have  gone  in  search 
of  her;  but  this  was  impossible.  His  feelings 
were  somewhat  relieved  by  the  receipt  of  a 
letter  from  his  father,  assuring  him  of  his  con- 
tinued affection  and  regard. 

At  length  the  long  and  anxiously-looked-for 
vessel  arrived,  and  after  seven  days  of  the 
most  fearful  suspense3he  again  embraced  the  be- 
loved object  in  whom  all  his  thoughts  had  been 
so  long  centered.  He  now  thought  himself  the 
happiest  of  men.  With  a  light  heart  he  took 
leave  of  his  old  comrades,  and  accompanied 
by  his  wife,  proceeded  to  London,  arriving  at 
his  father's  house  in  Queenhithe  on  the  even- 
3 


26 


MEMOIR     OF 


ing  of  the  24th  of  December,  after  an  absence 
of  nearly  eleven  years.  The  meeting  of  the 
father  with  his  only  son  was  similar  to  that 
described  in  the  parable  of  the  Prodigal,  he 
exclaiming,  "This  my  son  was  dead  and  is 
alive  again,  he  was  lost  and  is  found."  He 
viewed  him  as  sent  back  to  him  by  the  hand  of 
God  alone,  and  entirely  in  answer  , to  prayer. 
It  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  just  previous  to  the 
bombardment  of  Gibraltar,  a  prayer  meeting 
was  held  by  some  poor  aged  people,  friends  of 
the  parents,  on  behalf  of  their  absent  son, 
when  it  was  most  earnestly  implored  that  the 
Lord  would  be  pleased  to  spare  his  life,  and 
restore  him  again  to  his  family  and  his  friends. 
After  the  meeting  an  aged  woman  present  de- 
clared her  belief  that  their  petition  was  heard, 
and  would  be  answered,  as  this  passage  of 
Scripture  was  impressed  most  powerfully  on 
her  mind:  "Yet  doth  he  devise  means  that  his 
banished  be  not  expelled."  Mr.  C.  often 
afterwards  mentioned  this  circumstance,  as  an 
encouragement  to  parents  similarly  situated, 
to  continue  in  prayer  for  their  ungodly  chil- 
dren. 

After  the  detail  of  his  principal  adventures 
and  escapes,  the  Bible  was  placed  on  the 
table,    and,   to  his  great  surprise,   his   father 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  27 

commenced  reading  a  chapter.  When  this 
was  finished,  he  was  still  more  astonished  to 
hear  his  lather  say,  "Now,  my  hoy,  let  us  go 
to  prayer."  All  knelt  down,  and  he  hegan  with 
great  fluency  and  fervor  to  express  his  grati- 
tude to  God  who  had  answered  his  prayers  in 
bringing  back  his  only  son  in  health  and  safety. 
Mr.  C.  wal  amazed  to  hear  his  father  proceed 
with  such  freedom  of  speech,  and  prompted  by 
curiosity,  he  arose  from  his  knees,  and  looked 
across  the  table  to  ascertain  if  his  father  was 
not  using  a  book.  But  when  he  saw  him  with 
his  eyes  closed,  and  no  book  before  him,  he 
was  lost  in  wonder  and  astonishment,  and  as 
he  afterwards  expressed  it,  could  scarcely  be- 
lieve his  own  eyes.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  his  father  could  not  read  a  word  when  his 
son  ran  away,  was  an  irreligious  man,  and 
never  had  set  up  a  family  altar,  but  lived  as 
too  many  do  at  this  day,  without  God  in  the 
world.  Now  how  changed  the  scene.  Salva- 
tion had  come  to  that  house;  the  morning  and 
evening  vows  were  paid;  and  the  father  pours 
out  his  heart  in  grateful  thanksgivings  and 
supplications,  that  the  son,  over  whom  his 
heart  more  tenderly  yearned  than  ever  before, 
might  become  a  child  of  God,  an  heir  of  glory. 
At  six  o'clock  the  following  morning,  being 


28  MEMOIROF 

Christmas  day,  Mr.  C.  was  prevailed  on  by 
his  father  to  accompany  him  to  hear  the  Rev. 
R.Cecil.  His  text  was  Psalm  46:  9.  "He 
maketh  wars  to  cease."  The  subject  of  the 
discourse,  and  the  powerful  appeals  of  the  min- 
ister, strongly  riveted  his  attention,  and  he 
appeared  much  pleased  with  the  whole  of  the 
discourse.  His  father,  therefore*^  had  little 
difficulty  to  persuade  him  to  accompany  him 
to  Blackfriars  church  to  hear  Rev.  W.  Ro- 
maine.  On  the  following  day  he  went  to  visit 
some  of  his  old  companions,  and  returning 
home  late  in  the  evening,  intoxicated,  he  found 
his  pious  father  at  family  prayer.  Being  be- 
reft of  his  proper  senses,  he  became  very  dis- 
orderly, and  with  his  hand  swept  every  thing 
from  the  mantel-shelf.  His  father  said  little  to 
him  that  night;  but  the  following  day,  when 
sense  and  reason  were  awakened,  he  gave 
him  a  solemn  reprimand  for  his  improper  con- 
duct; explained  to  him  the  awful  consequences 
of  the  sin  of  intemperance,  the  impossibility  of 
his  remaining  under  the  paternal  roof,  where 
he  had  been  so  kindly  welcomed,  if  he  persist- 
ed in  such  evil  practices.  This  affectionate 
and  solemn  reproof  appeared  to  produce  the 
desired  effect,  and  on  the  following  Sabbath 
he    requested    permission    to    accompany    his 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  29 

father  to  church.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Romaine 
was  preaching  a  series  of  lectures  on  the 
building  of  Solomon's  Temple,  and  showed 
wherein  it  typified  Christ.  These  lectures  in- 
terested him  much,  as  many  remarks  were 
made  which  furnished  him  with  thoughts  which 
he  intended  to  embody  in  an  intended  lecture 
on  free-masonry;  but  the  Lord  had  better 
work  for  him  to  do,  and  was  now  about  to  pre- 
pare him  for  it.  In  one  of  these  discourses, 
the  esteemed  minister  dwelt  more  than  usual 
on  the  depravity  of  the  human  heart,  and  its 
opposition  to  the  sovereignty  and  dominion  of 
God,  and  showed  that  this  division  between 
God  and  the  creature  would  not  admit  of  any 
union  without  a  change  of  nature.  By  this 
truth,  accompanied  by  the  solemn  appeal  to 
every  sinner  to  give  up  his  sins,  his  mind  be- 
came, in  some  degree,  convinced  of  the  awful 
state  of  its  alienation  from  God,  and  the  neces- 
sity of  regeneration.  And  although  his  first 
impressions  were  comparatively  slight,  and 
this  change  in  his  views  and  feelings,  like  the 
dawning  of  the  morning,  was  scarcely  percep- 
tible, yet  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  it  became 
evident  thai  a  principle  of  grace  had  been  im- 
parted, and  that  he,  who  commanded  light  to 
shine  out  of  darkness  had  shined  into  his  heart. 
3* 


30  MEMOIROF 

His  pious  father,  who  was  on  the  watch  for  the 
first  tokens  of  true  penitence  in  his  son,  now 
observed  with  much  satisfaction  a  decided 
change  in  his  conduct,  and  took  every  oppor- 
tunity of  encouraging  him  in  his  inquiries,  and 
of  directing  him  to  the  Lamb  of  God  that  tak- 
eth  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 

He  continued  to  attend  the  ministry  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  R.,  and  by  slow  degrees  he  was 
directed  into  the  knowledge  and  love  of  God, 
till  at  length  he  abandoned  for  ever  his  free- 
masonry pursuits,  and  became  a  free  man  in 
Christ  Jesus. 

Convinced  of  the  value  of  his  own  soul,  he 
now  began  to  feel  an  ardent  desire  for  the 
salvation  of  others.  The  spiritual  welfare  of 
his  relatives  was  the  first  object  that  occupied 
his  mind,  and  he  prayed  the  Lord  that  he 
would  make  him  instrumental  in  their  conver- 
sion. He  commenced  the  work  with  his  wife; 
and  upon  declaring  to  her  what  the  Lord  had 
done  for  his  soul,  and  expressing  his  anxiety 
that  she  should  become  partaker  of  the  like 
precious  faith,  he  was  both  surprised  and  de- 
lighted to  find  that  the  Spirit  of  God  had  been 
secretly  working  upon  her  soul,  and  that 
through  the  pious  example  of  her  father-in-law 
she  had  become  solicitous  about  the  one  thing 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  31 

needful.  Mrs.  C,  previous  to  her  arrival  in 
England,  was  a  perfect  stranger  to  family  de- 
votion; she  was,  therefore,  as  much  astonished 
as  her  husband  to  hear  her  father-in-law  ex- 
pound the  Scriptures  and  engage  in  prayer. 
Being,  however,  a  woman  of  discernment,  she 
was  not  long  in  discovering  how  much  his  con- 
duct was  influenced  and  his  happiness  promoted 
by  his  religion;  and  how  superior  were  the 
order  and  devotion  observed  in  the  family  of 
her  husband's  relatives,  to  the  scenes  of  mirth 
and  irregularity  she  had  witnessed  in  her  own. 
She  reflected  that  if  such  holiness  of  life  was 
required  for  a  participation  in  the  joys  of 
heaven,  she  was  unfit  for  that  blissful  state, 
and  consequently,  unprepared  to  die.  The 
thought  much  distressed  her  mind,  and  she 
began  to  inquire  what  she  must  do  to  be  saved. 
The  exhortations  of  her  husband,  therefore, 
were  listened  to  with  the  greatest  interest  and 
profit,  and  she  soon  afterwards  gave  evident 
proofs  by  her  holy  life  and  conversation,  that 
she  had  become  a  partaker  with  him  of  the 
grace  of  life. 

His  attention  was  next  directed  to  his  wife's 
relatives,  who  were  then  in  Ireland  with  their 
regiment.  He  wrote  several  letters  to  them 
expressing  his  deep  interest  in  their  spiritual 


32 


MEMOIR     OF 


welfare,  informing  them  of  the  Lord's  gracious 
dealings  towards  him,  and  earnestly  exhorting 
them  to  renounce  the  vanities  of  the  world  and 
embrace  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  But  here 
he  had  little  success;  his  words  appeared  to 
them  like  idle  tales,  and  they  believed  them 
not.  His  old  companions  in  arms  shared 
much  of  his  anxious  solicitude.  He  had  be- 
come so  zealous  for  the  Lord  that  he  thought 
if  he  could  only  join  the  39th  regiment  again, 
he  should  be  enabled,  by  the  blessing  of  God 
upon  his  exertions,  to  convert  the  whole  of  the 
men.  So  far  did  his  zeal  carry  him,  that  he 
actually  wrote  to  his  father-in-law,  who  was  a 
corporal  in  the  regiment,  to  know  if  he  would 
use  his  influence  to  get  him  appointed  to  his 
former  station  in  the  regiment;  but  as  it  was 
afterwards  understood  that  it  would  shortly  be 
ordered  to  embark  for  Gaudaloupe,  the  design 
was  abandoned. 

After  remaining  in  his  father's  house  a  few 
months,  he  thought  it  advisable  to  remove. 
He  therefore  took  apartments  in  Goswell  street, 
St.  Luke's,  where  he  continued  to  follow  the 
business  of  a  tailor;  and  becoming  acquainted 
with  some  young  persons,  who,  like  himself, 
had  lately  been  called  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  he   instituted  a  daily  prayer-meeting  at 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  33 

his  own  residence,  and  thereby  his  spiritual 
strength  was  continually  renewed  and  invigo- 
rated. 

He  had  not  been  long  in  his  new  abode  be- 
fore he  began  to  experience  severe  trials. 
The  winter  was  setting  in;  employ tnent  was 
scarce ;  his  little  stock  of  money  was  expended, 
and  he  became  extremely  straitened  in  his  cir- 
cumstances. His  difficulties,  however,  did 
not  impede  his  usefulness;  for  about  this  time 
the  Lord  was  pleased  to  bless  his  endeavors  in 
the  conversion  of  two  lodgers  in  the  house 
where  he  resided.  One  of  them  deserves  a 
particular  notice.  She  was  a  woman  of  very 
bad  character,  and  a  great  persecutor  of  the 
children  of  God.  He  often  spoke  to  her  upon 
the  sinfulness  of  the  human  heart,  and  the 
necessity  of  regeneration;  but  she  evinced 
such  an  opposition  to  serious  conversation, 
that  it  was  extremely  difficult  to  prevail  on  her 
for  one  moment  to  listen  to  a  word  of  exhorta- 
tion. While  they  were  singing  hymns  at  the 
prayer-meeting,  she  would  frequently  endeav- 
or to  interrupt  them  by  singing  immoral  songs. 
One  day  she  appeared  more  friendly  than  ordi- 
nary towards  Mr.  C,  and  invited  him  and  his 
wife  to  take  tea  with  her.  He  consented, 
though  with  some  reluctance,  it  being  Sabbath 


34  MEMOIR     OF 

day.  While  at  tea  he  introduced  the  subject 
of  religion,  and  spoke  of  the  sovereignty  of 
God  in  calling  sinners  by  his  grace  from  a 
state  of  nature  to  a  state  of  holiness.  The 
words  called  by  his  grace,  entered  into  her 
very  soul.  She  became  thoughtful,  but  at 
that  time  said  little.  At  night  she  retired  to 
rest,  but  could  not  sleep;  conviction  darted 
into  her  mind,  and  she  became  extremely  rest- 
less and  uneasy,  and  at  length  cried  out,  "I 
am  lost!  I  am  not  called!"  She  started  from 
her  bed,  and  in  the  utmost  agony  of  soul  cried 
aloud,  "O,  what  shall  I  do  to  be  saved!"  Mr. 
C.  and  his  wife,  hearing  her  bitter  cries,  arose 
and  went  to  her  to  comfort  her;  but  she  re- 
fused all  consolation,  crying  for  the  forgiveness 
of  her  sins.  She  remained  in  this  condition 
four  days,  and  on  Thursday  evening  Mr.  C. 
took  her  with  him  to  hear  the  Rev.  Mr.  Clark 
in  Redcross  street,  Cripplegate.  His  text  was 
from  Ezek.  37:  12.  "Behold,  O  my  people, 
I  will  open  your  graves,  and  cause  you  to 
come  up  out  of  your  graves,  and  bring  you 
into  the  land  of  Israel."  Under  this  sermon 
light  broke  in  upon  her  soul,  and  she  hence- 
forth became  a  meek  and  humble  follower 
of  the  Saviour.  She  soon  afterwards,  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  C,   joined   the   church   in  Bar- 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  35 

bican,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev. 
John  Towers. 

Shortly  after  this,  Mr.  Cranfield  was  hon- 
ored in  being  made  instrumental  in  the  conver- 
sion of  a  poor  woman  residing  at  Dowgate 
Hill.  This  person  was  far  advanced  in  years, 
and,  although  not  an  open  blasphemer,  she 
had  lived  in  the  constant  neglect  of  the  means 

of  grace.     Being  now  laid  on  a   bed   of  afflic- 
ts » 

tion,  Mr  C.  visited  her,  at  the  request  of  a 
friend,  and  found  her  totally  ignorant  of  her 
spiritual  danger,  and  the  way  of  salvation  by 
Christ.  He  explained  to  her  the  awful  bond- 
age under  which  she  was  held,  and  pointed 
her  to  the  Saviour,  who,  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
could  bring  her  into  the  liberty  of  the  gospel. 
She  at  first  evinced  much  opposition,  but  he 
was  unwearied  in  his  efforts  to  instruct  her 
and  bring  her  to  Jesus.  He  wept,  and  prayed, 
and  exhorted  by  turns,  and  the  Lord  in  due 
time  gave  testimony  to  the  word  of  his  grace, 
by  sealing  it  upon  her  heart,  and  enabling  her 
to  see  the  infinite  value  of  the  Saviour,  and  to 
commit  her  eternal  interests  into  his  hands. 
She  frequently  repeated  the  words,  "I  am 
carnal,  sold  under  sin;  but  thanks  be  to  God 
who  giveth  me  the  victory  through  Jesus  Christ 
my  Lord."     Just   before   her  death,   she  ex- 


36  MEMOIR     OF 

pressed  great  thankfulness  for  the  daily  visits 
of  Mr.  C,  and  exhorted  him  to  persevere  in 
his  endeavors  to  win  sinners  to  Christ.  This 
was  indeed  a  brand  plucked  out  of  the  burning. 
The  Lord  met  with  her  at  the  eleventh  hour, 
and  so  communicated  his  love  to  her  soul,  that 
she  died  triumphing  in  him,  and  saying,  "None 
but  Christ,  none  but  Christ." 

Upon  joining  the  church  in  Barbican,  he 
was  introduced  to  a  number  of  young  friends, 
who  feared  the  Lord  greatly.  He  attended 
their  prayer-meetings,  and  found  those  seasons 
to  be  indeed  times  of  refreshing  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord.  His  soul  was  now  fired 
with  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  he  became 
impatient  to  be  more  actively  employed  in  his 
service.  When  passing  Moorfields,  and  re- 
flecting on  this  subject,  he  remembered  that 
when  he  was  a  boy  he  stood  upon  that  spot, 
listening  to  the  overpowering  eloquence  of  the 
Rev.  George  Whitefield,  as  he  boldly  preached 
Jesus  and  the  resurrection;  and  this  passage 
of  Scripture  came  into  his  mind,  "Go  thou 
and  do  likewise."  He  was  conscious  that  he 
did  not  possess  ability  for  such  an  undertaking, 
and  yet  it  was  highly  important  that  the  stand- 
ard of  the  cross  should  be  erected  in  the  high- 
ways  and  hedges.     Who,   thought  he,  can  I 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  37 

get  to  be  the  standard-bearer?  This  difficulty 
was  soon  solved,  for  he  very  soon  after  met 
with  Mr.  George  Taylor,  an  old  playfellow, 
who  had  become  pious,  and  whom  the  Lord 
had  endowed  with  a  talent  for  preaching. 
The  subject  was  proposed  for  his  considera- 
tion, and  it  was  finally  agreed  that  Mr. 
Taylor  should  take  his  stand  under  the  wall  of 
the  vinegar-yard,  City  road,  while  Mr.  Cran- 
field  should  officiate  as  clerk. 

On  the  following  Sabbath  afternoon,  Mr.  C. 
carried  his  chair  to  the  place  agreed  upon, 
and  his  friend  boldly  preached  the  glad  tidings 
of  salvation  to  the  assembled  multitude.  Here 
they  endured  much  insult.  Field-preaching 
was  not  then  protected  by  the  civil  authorities, 
as  it  is  now;  consequently  the  multitude  were 
unawed  by  the  fear  of  punishment,  and  vented 
their  spleen  or  indulged  their  humor  as  they 
listed.  Sometimes  there  was  laughing,  scoff- 
ing, and  disturbance  by  throwing  mud,  but 
they  were  not  thus  to  be  beaten  off  the  field; 
their  zeal  was  only  stimulated  by  such  opposi- 
tion, and  they  went  more  resolutely  forward  to 
the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty.  These 
services  were  continued  for  about  twelve 
months,  Mr.  Cranfield  sometimes  conducting 
the  services  in  the  absence  of  his  friend.  His 
4 


38  MEMOIR      OF 

heart  was  now  lifted  up  in  the  ways  of  God, 
but  this  did  not  very  long  continue,  when  he 
was  greatly  distressed,  and  even  left  to  doubt 
of  his  own  eternal  election.  He  could  obtain 
no  comfortable  evidence  that  he  had  any  faith 
in  Christ,  or  that  he  was  moving  one  step  in 
the  narrow  way,  while  he  was  pointing  out  the 
way  to  others.  In  this  desponding  condition, 
he  one  day  strolled  to  the  Tabernacle,  just  as 
the  song  of  praise  concluded,  and  heard  a 
discourse  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Medley,  from 
Mat.  7:  7.  "  Search  and  ye  shall  find."  The 
word  came  home  with  power  to  his  soul.  It 
appeared  so  suitable  to  his  state,  that  he  felt  it 
to  be  evidently  a  message  of  God  to  him;  he 
was  enabled  to  seek  and  to  find  the  Saviour  to 
the  joy  and  the  rejoicing  of  his  heart.  "The 
Lord  brought  him  up  out  of  the  horrible  pit 
and  the  miry  clay,  and  set  his  feet  upon  a  rock, 
and  established  his  goings."  The  remembrance 
of  this  goodness  was  ever  afterwards  cherished 
by  him,  and  to  the  last  years  of  his  life,  he 
never  ceased  to  speak  of  it  with  lively  gratitude. 
This  incident  afforded  him  much  instruction, 
as  he  was  enabled  thereby  to  see  more  clearly 
his  own  weakness,  and  the  excellency  and 
power  of  the  gospel,  the  necessity  of  prayer 
that  he  might  be  kept  humble.     He  was  also 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  39 

led  to  discern  the  depth  of  Satan's  devices, 
and  the  deceitfulness  and  depravity  of  his  own 
heart,  and  thus  to  become  better  qualified  to 
edify  and  comfort  those  who  should  be  called 
to  pass  through  similar  scenes  of  trial. 

In  August,  1786,  his  family  was  increased 
by  the  birth  of  a  second  child,  a  daughter,  and 
his  business  being  brisker,  his  circumstances 
were  considerably  improved,  but  he  was  again 
plunged  in  difficulties,  by  a  fire  which  broke 
out  in  the  premises  where  he  resided,  which 
occasioned  him  a  considerable  loss. 

This  new  trial  only  served  to  draw  him 
nearer  to  God,  and  he  was  enabled  to  say, 
from  happy  experience,  "The  Lord  is  my 
portion,  I  shall  not  want," 

The  year  1787  ushered  in  fresh  afflictions. 
His  first  born,  a  son,  then  between  two  and 
three  years  old,  a  child  of  great  promise, 
whom  he  most  tenderly  loved,  took  the  small 
pox,  and  after  a  short  illness,  died.  His  feel- 
ings upon  this  occasion  are  recorded  in  the 
following  extract  of  a  letter,  addressed  some 
years  afterwards,  to  a  female  friend,  suffering 
under  a  similar  bereavement. 

"From  the  great  concern  I  have  for  you, 
in  your  present  troubles,  I  write,  not  that  I 


40  M  E  M  0  I  R      O  F 

think  it  in  my  power  to  give  you  better  advice 
than  those  who  are  about  you;  no,  fur  I  feel 
my  inability,  and  much  more  my  unworthiness 
to  address  you;  but  having  trodden  the  same 
road  before,  I  can  tell  you  my  experience,  and 
the  comfort  I  have  received  from  the  Lord, 
and  perhaps  he  may  bless  it  to  you, 

"About  eight  years  since,  as  I  was  walking 
from  Islington  to  the  city,  I  fell  into  a  train  of 
meditation  upon  God,  and  the  things  of  eternity, 
when  I  became  tilled  with  such  an  exalted 
view  of  his  character,  that  it  was  impossible 
for  me  to  express.  Finding  God  so  near,  I 
was  very  bold  and  spoke  to  him  of  things  to 
come.  After  giving  up  myself,  wife  and  chil- 
dren to  him,  the  thought  started  in  my  mind, 
suppose  God  should  make  your  son  an  object 
of  his  displeasure,  can  you  give  him  up?  I 
inwardly  answered,  yes,  most  heartily,  so  that 
God's  name  might  be  glorified  thereby,  and  it 
were  for  the  good  of  his  people.  In  this  frame 
of  mind  I  continued  for  more  than  an  hour. 
Soon  afterwards,  God  tried  me;  my  son  fell 
sick,  and  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  take  him  from 
me.  I  was  tormented  with  the  apprehension 
that  my  child  would  be  lost.  My  heart  rebelled. 
Upon  entering  the  room  where  the  corpse 
lay,    and  uncovering    it    immediately,     I    had 


THOMAS      CRAN  FIELD.  41 

such  a  view  of  his  soul's  being  in  glory, 
that  I  sprang  from  the  bed  to  the  window  and 
cried  out,  Lord  Jesus,  take  me,  also.  I 
cannot  describe  the  glorious  sight  I  was  then 
permitted  to  behold.  I  saw,  by  faith,  my 
child  conducted  by  angels  through  assembled 
multitudes,  and  placed  before  the  throne.  I 
stood  for  sometime  before  the  window,  lost  in 
love  and  admiration.  O,  that  Jesus  would 
give  you  such  a  sight.  Thus  the  Lord  was 
pleased  to  comfort  his  servant  under  this  trial, 
and  thus,  also,  has  he  been  able  to  comfort 
others  '  by  the  comfort  wherewith  he  himself 
was  comforted  of  God.'  " 

The  year  1789  was  one  of  peculiar  suffering, 
owing  to  the  almost  total  stagnation  of  business. 
His  children  frequently  cried  for  bread,  when 
he  had  none  to  give  them.  The  distress  of 
mind,  under  such  circumstances,  can  only  be 
conceived  by  those  who  have  endured  similar 
trials;  but  he  was  enabled  to  wrestle  hard  with 
God,  in  prayer,  and  he  found  him  faithful  to 
his  word  of  promise, — "  Call  upon  me  in  the 
day  of  trouble,  and  I  will  deliver  thee." 
Sometimes,  when  his  own  mind  was  filled  with 
doubts  and  fears,  his  affectionate  wife  would 
inspire  him  with  fresh  confidence,  by  bidding 
4* 


42  MEMOIR      OF 

him  to  remember  the  goodness  of  the  Lord  to 
them  in  former  days,  and  would  repeat  to  him 
those  sweet  lines  of  the  poet: — 

"His  love  in  times  past,  forbids  me  to  think 
He'll  leave  me  at  last  in  trouble  to  sink} 
Each  sweet  Ebenezer  I  have  in  review, 
Confirms  his  good  pleasure  to  help  me  quite  through." 

In  April,  1789,  he  was  called  to  witness  the 
death  of  his  little  daughter,  of  near  three  years 
of  age.  Although  so  very  young,  she  appeared 
to  have  given  her  heart  to  God,  and  her  death 
bed  was  instructive  to  all  who  saw  her.  By 
her  engaging  manners  and  sweet  disposition, 
she  had  so  entwined  herself  around  the  heart 
of  her  father,  that  she  seemed  quite  indispen- 
sable to  his  happiness.  The  caution  of  a 
celebrated  preacher  now  seemed  necessary; 
"Beware  of  idols  in  white  frocks." 

The  death  of  this  child  inflicted  a  deep 
wound  in  the  heart  of  the  father,  so  that  for 
some  days  he  could  not  attend  to  business;  he 
afterwards  was  enabled  to  see  the  wisdom  of 
divine  Providence,  and  to  bow  submissively  to 
his  heavenly  Father's  will. 

As  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cranfield  were  industrious 
and  prudent,  they  could  make  a  little  go  further 
than  many  others,  so  that  few  knew  from  their 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  43 

appearance  how  narrow  their  circumstances 
frequently  were;  their  father  being  much 
afflicted,  could  render  them  but  little  aid;  but 
whenever  that  little  was  afforded,  it  was 
received  with  a  grateful  heart. 

About  this  time,  passing  through  Kingsland, 
Mr.  C.  was  struck  with  the  ignorance  and 
wickedness  which  abounded  in  that  neighbor- 
hood, and  consulted  with  some  Christian 
friends  upon  the  best  mode  of  introducing  the 
gospel  there.  After  much  consideration,  it 
was  agreed  that  a  prayer  meeting  should  be 
held  among  the  brick-makers.  Mr.  C.  accord- 
ingly, applied  to  the  foreman,  who  readily 
opened  his  house  for  the  purpose.  This 
meeting  was  held  every  morning,  at  five 
o'clock,  and  once  a  week,  in  the  evening,  and 
Mr.  C.  was  rarely  absent  on  those  occasions. 

Towards  the  close  of  this  year,  being 
unable,  notwithstanding  every  exertion,  to  pay 
a  note  which  he  owed,  he  was  arrested  and 
placed  in  the  debtor's  prison,  in  Giltspur  street. 
This  was  to  him  as  great  a  trial  as  any  which 
he  had  previously  passed  through,  as  it  cast 
a  shade  over  his  character,  but  his  heart  did 
not  reproach  him,  and  he  trusted  in  God, 
leaning  upon  his  promise,  "I  will  be  with 
thee."     But  for  the  two   following    days,   he 


44  MEMOIR      OF 

was  dejected,  and  the  distress  of  mind  was 
brought  to  a  climax,  on  hearing  that  his  land- 
lord  had  put  an  execution  into  his  house  for 
rent.  He  cried  unto  the  Lord,  and  found 
comfort  to  his  troubled  mind  by  the  precious 
assurance,  "Nevertheless,  I  am  continually 
with  thee."  He  remained  in  prison  about  four 
days,  when,  through  the  assistance  of  a  friend, 
the  money  was  paid  and  Mr.  C.  obtained  a 
discharge.  Soon  after  his  return  home,  finding 
it  impossible  to  meet  the  just  demands  of  his 
landlord,  the  few  articles  of  furniture  which  he 
possessed  were  taken,  and  having  resolved  to 
leave  the  house  where  he  had  suffered  so  many 
trials,  he  went  forth,  like  Abraham,  not 
knowing  whither  he  went. 

Though  cast  down,  he  was  not  in  despair. 
His  faith  and  hope  in  God  still  abounded,  and 
the  Lord,  who  was  now  leading  him  by  a  way 
which  he  knew  not,  was  present  to  help  him. 
As  he  was  passing  along  the  streets  with  his 
wife  and  child,  he  remembered  that  it  was  the 
evening  for  prayer,  at  Kingsland,  and  thither 
he  bent  his  steps.  His  friends,  who  had  heard 
of  his  trouble5  received  him  with  great  joy, 
and  most  fervently  invoked  the  blessing  of 
God  on  him  and  his  family.  After  the  meeting 
was  over,   one  of  the    company    invited    him 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  45 

J 

home,  and  told  him  he  was  at  liberty  to  take 
up  his  residence  with  him  until  he  could  rind 
another  situation.  This  offer  he  gladly 
accepted,  and  remained  with  him  that  night, 
but  the  next  day  he  took  lodgings  on  Kingsland 
Green,  although  he  had  no  furniture,  save 
what  he  could  borrow  of  his  friends. 

Such  were  the  trying  scenes  through  which 
this  afflicted  man  was  called  to  pass,  and  which 
compelled  him  to  repair  for  a  shelter  to  Kings- 
land.  But  affliction  cometh  not  forth  of  the 
dust;  there  was  one  above,  who  was  secretly 
directing  the  storm,  and  rendering  it  subservi- 
ent to  the  performance  of  his  designs  of  mercy; 
and  his  purpose  being  accomplished,  of  placing 
his  servant  in  this  neighborhood,  where  he 
intended  to  make  him  instrumental  in  spreading 
the  light  of  the  gospel,  the  storm  soon  after 
gradually  began  to  subside,  the  clouds  to 
disperse,  and  the  horizon  to  brighten,  indicating 
the  approach  of  a  calmer  and  happier  day. 


46 


MEMOIR      OF 


CHAPTER  III. 


FROM  lUS  REMOVAL  TO  KINGSLAND,  TO  HIS  QUITTING 
THE  LONDON   CORRESPONDING  SOCIETY. 


On  the  first  day  of  taking  up  his  abode  in 
his  new  place  of  residence,  Mr.  Cranfield  spent 
much  time  in  prayer,  that  the  Lord  would 
again  appear  in  his  behalf,  and  bless  his 
endeavors  to  gain  a  subsistence  for  himself 
and  family.  On  the  following  morning,  he 
received  an  order  from  a  gentleman,  for  a  suit 
of  clothes.  This  order,  however,  he  could  not 
immediately  execute,  as  he  did  not  possess  a 
single  shilling  wherewith  to  purchase  the  cloth. 
He  waited,  therefore,  upon  the  gentleman  and 
informed  him  of  his  circumstances,  who  ad- 
vanced him  two  guineas  to  purchase  the 
materials,  when  he  and  his  wife  commenced 
their  work  with  extraordinary  diligence.  He 
did  not  retire  to  rest  until  they  were  completed, 
which  occupied  him  two  whole  nights  and 
three  days.  Fresh  orders  now  came  in;  his 
business  gradually  increased;  and  at  the  end 
of  a  few  weeks  he  was  again  in  a  prosperous 
state;    still    his    mind  was    kept  in   constant 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  47 

anxiety  in  consequence  of  some  former  debts, 
which,  from  losses  and  disappointments, 
he  had  been  unable  to  discharge.  A  k\v^ 
extracts  from  his  diary,  which  he  commenced 
on  new  year's  day,  will  show  his  feelings  and 
experience,  whilst  struggling  against  these 
pecuniary  difficulties. 

"Jan.  Is/,  1790.— 'Trust  in  the  Lord  at  all 
times.'  Ps.  42:  8.  This  lesson  I  would  learn 
at  all  times,  and  in  all  situations.  Lord,  make 
me  a  good  scholar  this  year,  I  beseech  thee. 
I  begin  the  year  in  circumstances  of  great 
perplexity  and  trial,  having  eleven  pounds  to 
pay  on  the  4th  inst.,  without  one  shilling 
towards  it.  But  I  trust  in  my  God,  who  is  my 
strength  and  my  helper.  Lord,  help  me  to 
put  all  my  confidence  in  thee.  I  have  com- 
mitted myself  into  the  hands  of  my  heavenly 
Father  this  day,  in  his  house,  feeling  and 
believing  that  he  has  accepted  me  for  Jesus' 
sake. 

"2nd. — 'Commit  thy  way  unto  the  Lord; 
trust  also  in  him,  and  he  shall  bring  it  to  pass.' 
Ps.  37:  5.  This  day  I  have  been  much  tried 
with  disappointments  and  crosses,  but  am  kept 
from  sinking.  His  arms  are  underneath  me, 
supporting  and  comforting  me  under  this  trial. 


48  MEMOIR      OF 

— No    eleven    pounds   yet. — Lord,    keep    me 
patient. 

"3d, — 'Cast  thy  burden  upon  the  Lord, 
and  he  shall  sustain  thee."  Ps.  4:  22.  I 
have  been  enabled,  in  some  measure,  to  do  so. 
I  regret  that  I  have  been  disquieted,  and  have 
not  kept  this  Sabbath  as  I  could  have  wished ; 
but  the  Lord  has  been  pleased  to  afford  me  a 
little  of  the  light  of  his  countenance.  Blessed 
be  his  name  for  ever.  No  money  as  yet. — The 
time  is  up  to-morrow  morning,  and  I  doubt  not 
but  my  God  will  appear  for  me.  In  this 
confidence  I  lay  my  body  down  to  sleep. 

"  4th. — 'The  Lord  is  my  light  and  my  sal- 
vation, whom  shall  I  fear.5  Ps.  27:  1.  This 
morning  the  Lord  has  made  bare  his  arm,  and 
sent  me  the  eleven  pounds,  which  I  have  stood 
in  such  need  of.  Glory  be  to  his  name  for  ever. 
The  Lord  alone  delivered  me.  All  hearts  are 
in  his  hand,  and  he  hath  the  whole  disposal  of 
them;  consequently,  his  children  have  no 
reason  to  fear.  s^'In  God  will  I  make  my  boast 
all  the  day  iong.'  " 

The  writer  of  this  memoir  is  not  aware  in 
what  way  this  seasonable  supply  was  obtained, 
nor  was  he  at  all  conscious  that  this  interesting 
record  of  the  goodness  of  God  was  in  existence, 
until  after  the  death  of  its  author. 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  49 

"  5/ft,. — cAnd  what  is  the  exceeding  greatness 
of  his  power  to  usward  who  believe,  according 
to  the  working  of  his  mighty  power."  Ep.  1: 
19.  Nothing  short  of  the  power  of  God  can 
make  me  believe;  and  something  of  this  power 
I  have  experienced  this  day,  as  evidently  as 
the  children  of  Israel  did,  when  the  Red  Sea 
was  dried  up  before  them.  I  stood  in  need  of 
a  guinea,  and  the  Lord  in  a  surprising  manner 
sent  it  to  me  at  the  time  I  most  wanted  it. 
Blessed  be  his  name,  he  has  never  left  me  yet." 

The  guinea  to  which  he  here  alludes,  he 
used  often  afterwards  to  speak  of  to  his  family, 
with  great  animation  and  lively  feelings  of 
gratitude.  It  was  put  into  the  hand  of  one  of 
his  children,  by  an  elderly  lady,  who  visited 
him  that  day,  and  who  was  proverbial  for  her 
extreme  parsimony.  Though  possessed  of 
wealth,  she  denied  herself  the  common  neces- 
saries, and  was  never  known  to  perform  so 
benevolent  an  act  before.  Under  such  cir- 
cumstances, Mr,  C.  might  well  observe  the 
hand  of  God  in  affording  this  most  seasonable 
relief. 

"c2uth. — 'As  thou   hast   believed,   so   be    it 
done   unto  thee.'     Mat.   8:     13.     This  day   I 
5 


50  MEMOIR      OF 

have  set  to  my  seal  that  God  is  true.  I  have 
a  note  to  pay  this  day,  for  which  I  had  not 
sufficient  money,  and  the  Lord  has  sent  me 
five  guineas  to  pay  it  with.  Blessed  be  his 
name,  I  never  trusted  in  him  and  was  con- 
founded. He  is  a  friend  in  the  worst  of  times, 
and  we  may  put  confidence  in  him,  and  be 
assured  he  will  not  leave  us.  I  find  my  soul 
overcome  in  admiration  of  the  love  of  God. 
Blessed  be  his  name  that  I  ever  knew  him." 

This  seasonable  and  repeated  relief  left  a 
deep  impression  on  his  mind,  and  he  often 
afterwards  spoke  of  it  in  the  family  circle,  to 
excite  in  his  children  a  dependence  on  God 
for  a  supply  of  all  their  necessities. 

Upon  reviewing  the  distressing  situation  out 
of  which  he  had  been  brought,  he  writes  in  his 
journal: 

"Feb.  19th. — I  have  labored  for  several 
weeks  past,  under  a  great  deal  of  affliction, 
both  in  body  and  mind.  My  soul  has  been 
nearly  overwhelmed  with  sorrows,  but  God 
was  with  me  and  was  my  strength  and  my  stay. 
I  never  had  my  faith  more  tried.  An  evidence 
of  personal  piety  in  such  a  time  is  worth  more 
than  gold.     I  have  this  day  given   myself  up 


THOMAS      CRAN  FIELD.  51 

into  my  Father's  hands,  and  surrendered  my 
body,  soul,  tongue  and  pen,  all  I  have,  and  all 
I  am,  to  his  service;  I  freely  devote  myself  to 
him,  living  and  dying.     Amen." 

Notwithstanding  the  difficulties  that  beset 
him,  Mr.  Cranfield  was  every  morning 
employed  at  prayer  meetings  with  the  brick- 
makers,  and  in  the  midst  of  frost  and  snow,  he 
was  accustomed  to  go  round  and  wake  up  his 
friends,  that  the  place  might  be  full.  Soon 
the  apartment  which  they  occupied  was  too 
small  for  their  accommodation.  Being  unwil- 
ling that  any  should  be  shut  out,  he  hired  a 
larger  one,  called  the  Factory,  and  although 
embarrassed  in  his  circumstances,  he  became 
responsible  for  the  rent.  He  then  engaged 
his  friend,  Mr.  George  Taylor,  to  attend  and 
preach,  while  he  officiated  as  clerk.  The 
little  band  soon  increased,  and  notwithstanding 
the  obloquy  and  ridicule  they  encountered  from 
the  inhabitants,  who  gave  them  the  name  of 
"Devil-dodgers,"  they  were  joined  by  several 
gentlemen  of  influence  and  respectability. 
Other  meetings  were  attended  at  various  hous- 
es, and  the  Lord  added  to  their  numbers  daily. 

In   his  visits   from  house  to  house,   having 
witnessed  much  severe  distress  among  the  sick 


52  MEMOIR      OF 

poor,  he  drew  up  a  plan  for  the  formation  of  a 
benevolent  society,  for  the  purpose  of  more 
regularly  visiting  and  relieving  the  necessitous 
at  their  own  houses,  he  himself  acting  as 
secretary.  In  the  first  year  of  the  society, 
the  sum  of  nearly  t£30  was  distributed  among 
distressed  individuals,  in  weekly  sums  of  from 
one  to  three  shillings. 

Towards  the  middle  of  this  year,  Mr.  Cran- 
field's  circumstances  assumed  a  favorable 
aspect,  and  he  was  enabled  to  disengage 
himself  from  the  difficulties  with  which  he  was 
surrounded.  No  memorandum,  however,  is 
given  of  his  experience  till  September  28th, 
when  he  thus  writes: — 

"To  my  shame,  I  have  not  written  of  God's 
dealings  towards  me  since  February  last.  In 
this  great  interval,  I  have  had  to  ascribe  glory 
to  God,  for  he  has  been  my  help  and  stay.  I 
have  paid  most  of  the  money  which  in  February 
I  owed;  and  in  a  little  time,  by  Divine  assist- 
ance, I  shall  pay  all.  I  have  had  much  of  the 
presence  of  my  God  during  this  interval, 
and  have  been  supported  and  comforted  by  a 
glorious  promise  which  he  has  given  me,  'The 
Lord  will  preserve  him  and  keep  him  alive, 
and  he  shall  be  blessed  on  the  earth,  and  thou 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  53 

wilt  not  deliver  him  to  the  will  of  his  enemies.' 
I  can  truly  say  he  has  fulfilled  that  promise  to 
rne.  He  still  blesses  me,  and  keeps  me  alive 
in  my  soul.  I  therefore  will  trust  in  him, 
and  not  fear,  though  the  earth  be  removed, 
and  the  mountains  be  carried  into  the  midst  of 
the  sea,  for  the  God  of  Jacob  is  my  refuge. 
I  have  set  out  afresh  this  day,  with  a  determi- 
nation to  give  no  occasion  of  offence,  either  to 
my  soul  or  to  man,  and  in  the  strength  of  God 
to  live  to  his  glory." 

Whilst  residing  at  Kingsland,  Mr.  C.  used 
frequently  to  attend  the  Tabernacle,  and 
Blackfriars'  church;  and  under  the  ministry 
of  the  word  at  those  places,  he  greatly  increased 
in  knowledge  and  spirituality.  At  times,  the 
gospel  came  with  such  power  to  his  soul,  that 
he  could  scarcely  refrain  from  giving  utterance 
to  his  feelings  in  the  midst  of  the  congregation. 
It  was,  no  doubt,  after  experiencing  some 
such  time  of  refreshing,  that  he  wrote  the 
following: — 

<(Oct.  5th. — I  have  this  night  been  at  the 
Tabernacle,  and  am  refreshed.  I  see  more 
and  more  the  awful  nature  of  sin;  that  it  is 
infinite.  I  see  that  I  am  polluted  all  over, — 
that  there  is  no  soundness  in  me.  I  see  that  I 
5* 


54  MEMOIR      OF 

come  infinitely  short  of  God's  word.  I  feel 
that  I  am  a  wretch  undone.  I  think  I  never 
breathed  after  holiness  more  than  I  do  at  this 
time.  I  want  to  be  made  like  Christ,  in  every 
sense  of  the  word, — in  heart,  in  lip  and  in  life. 
I  feel,  by  experience,  that  through  frequent 
secret  prayer,  sin  is  mortified,  and  my  mind  is 
made  more  holy  and  heavenly.  This,  also, 
gives  me  a  distaste  for  every  thing  that  is  sinful. 
Lord,  keep  me  in  this  frame.  I  lay  me  down 
this  night  with  a  firm  desire  to  be  holy,  as  God 
is  holy.     May  Jesus  sanctify  me.     Amen." 

The  following  week  he  thus  writes:  — 

"Oct.  12th. — The  Lord  has  given  me  this 
day  some  delightful  discoveries  of  himself,  as 
my  Saviour  and  friend.  O,  the  glories  which 
I  see  in  Christ!  glories  that  far  excel  every 
description.  He  has  enabled  me,  also,  to  see 
much  of  myself.  I  hate  my  sins  with  perfect 
hatred.  The  Lord  has  led  me,  this  day,  much 
into  the  knowledge  of  his  word.  O,  what  a 
precious  treasure  it  is.  I  really  esteem  it 
more  than  my  daily  food.  O,  that  I  could  live 
more  to  his  praise.  Lord,  make  me  any  thing, 
so  that  I  may  live  to  thy  glory.  If  it  is  thy 
will,  make  me  so  poor  as  to  be  obliged   to  lie 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  55 

upon  straw,  and  to  clothe  myself  with  rags, 
and  have  nothing  but  a  hard  crust  for  my  food, 
and  a  little  water,  if  it  be  but  the  means  of 
bringing  me  nearer  to  thyself,  and  of  preventing 
me  from  becoming  a  scandal  to  thy  holy  cause. 
Give  me  a  love  for  precious  souls,  and  a  heart 
to  visit  and  relieve  the  poor.  Lord,  grant  me 
this,  for  Christ's  sake.     Amen." 

At  this  time  his  Bible  was  his  constant 
companion, — he  always  had  it  with  him  on  the 
shop-board  while  at  work,  and  would  read  a 
small  portion,  and  then  meditate  upon  it  while 
he  pursued  his  occupation.  This  exercise  was 
so  delightful  to  him,  that  he  has  frequently 
declared  that  it  was  a  grief  for  him  to  leave  it 
only  for  a  few  minutes  for  the  purpose  of  taking 
his  meals.  No  wonder,  then,  that  he  dived  so 
deeply  into  the  mysteries  of  the  gospel,  and 
had  such  debasing  views  of  himself.  On  the 
14th  of  October,  he  thus  writes: — 

"  'The  secret  of  the  Lord  is  with  them  that 
fear  him,  and  he  will  show  them  his  covenant.' 
Blessed  be  my  covenant  God,  he  is  always 
found  of  them  that  seek  him;  I  can  say  so  by 
experience;  he  communes  from  off  his  mercy- 
seat  with  such  sinners  as  I  am.     This  morning, 


56  MEMOIR      OF 

when  I  was  at  the  throne  of  grace,  he  led  me 
much  into  myself.  It  is  impossible  for  heart 
to  conceive  what  creatures  we  are  by  nature, 
— what  a  depth  of  iniquity  lodges  within  our 
breast.  What  reason  have  we  to  fear  our- 
selves; Solomon  spake  truth  when  he  said, 
'He  that  trusts  his  own  heart,  is  a  fool.'  I 
see  that  nothing  but  destruction  lodges  within 
me;  I  am  entirely  an  enemy  to  myself,  and 
am  not  capable  of  doing  any  good  thing.  O, 
what  reason,  then,  have  1  to  give  myself  up 
to  God,  to  be  guided  by  Him  who  alone  can 
guide  me  aright  to  heaven;  and  how  seldom 
do  I  give  up  myself  in  reality.  I  must  first  be 
convinced  that  I  cannot  guide  myself,  before  I 
can  ever  give  myself  to  be  guided  by  another. 
Secondly,  I  must  count  the  cost.  Sometimes 
it  is  necessary  that  I  should  be  deprived  of 
earthly  goods,  in  order  to  wean  my  affection 
from  the  world.  Sometimes  a  child  must  be 
taken  away, — sometimes  I  must  be  in  debt, 
and  people  sent  to  harass  me  for  their  money, 
— sometimes  there  must  be  sickness, — and  at 
others,  imprisonment.  We  stand  in  need  of 
some  cross  or  other,  in  order  that  our  souls 
may  be  made  meet  for  heaven.  O,  what  a 
mercy  it  is  that  God  will  have  any  thing  to 
do  with  us  at  all.     Then  let  me  never  murmur 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  57 

at  any  cross  he  is  pleased  to  put  on  me?  May 
I  cheerfully  take  it  up,  and  go  on  my  way 
rejoicing." 

Though  Mr.  C.  was  now  in  more  prosperous 
circumstances,  so  active  and  benevolent  was 
his  disposition,  that  he  never  could  be  induced 
to  save  money,  even  when  he  had  the  oppor- 
tunity. He  was  now  a  constant  visiter  of  the 
sick  poor,  and,  frequently  coming  in  contact 
with  objects  suffering  in  all  the  varieties  of 
wretchedness,  his  hand  and  his  heart  were 
always  open  for  their  relief. 

Oftentimes  his  benefactions  were  so  distrib- 
uted, that  the  recipient  knew  not  from  what 
quarter  the  supply  proceeded.  One  Saturday, 
at  the  early  meeting,  he  was  informed  that  a 
pious  man,  one  of  the  fruits  of  his  labors,  had 
not,  through  poverty,  tasted  any  meat  for 
several  months.  At  night,  therefore,  he  pur- 
chased a  leg  of  mutton;  and  having  tied  it  to 
the  knocker  of  the  poor  man's  door,  he  gave  a 
loud  knock,  and  ran  away.  On  the  following 
morning,  after  the  conclusion  of  the  meeting, 
that  individual  related  what  had  happened,  and, 
expressing  his  fears  that  some  evil  was  designed 
against  him,  asked  for  advice  as  to  what  he 
had  better  do  with  the  meat.  Every  one 
counselled  him  to  eat  it;    but  it  was  not  till 


58  MEMOIR      OF 

after  Mr.  Cranfield  had  repeatedly  assured 
him  he  would  be  responsible  for  his  conduct, 
that  the  poor  man  was  prevailed  upon  to  do  so. 

At  the  close  of  the  year,  Mr.  C  ,  through  his 
connexion  with  Messrs.  Reyner,  Burchett, 
and  other  respectable  individuals,  had  such  an 
influx  of  business,  that  he  deemed  it  advisable 
to  take  two  apprentices;  and  in  the  year  fol- 
lowing, another  was  added  to  their  number. 
But  this  change  in  his  affairs  produced  little 
alteration  in  his  general  conduct,  except  that 
it  rendered  him  more  extensively  useful.  He 
had  no  love  for  money,  and  only  valued  it  as 
the  means  of  providing  for  the  wants  of  his 
family,  and  of  enabling  him  more  effectually 
to  obey  the  apostolic  direction  to  "  do  good 
unto  all  men,  especially  unto  them  who  are  of 
the  household  of  faith." 

The  weather  now  began  to  set  in  very  cold, 
employment  was  scarce,  and  the  poor  inhabi- 
tants, especially  the  brickmakers,  were  invery 
great  distress.  Mr.  Cranfield,  therefore, 
began  to  consider  how  relief  could  best  be 
afforded  them.  After  various  things  had  been 
suggested  to  his  mind,  he  at  length  drew  up  a 
plan  for  raising  subscriptions,  and  purchasing 
articles  of  consumption,  and  retailing  them  to 
the  poor  at  very  reduced  prices.     After  the 


THOMAS      CRAN  FIELD.  59 

five  o'clock  prayer-meeting,  on  New  Year's 
morning,  1791,  was  concluded,  Mr.  C.  read 
his  plan  to  the  persons  present.  It  was  a  very 
full  meeting,  and  it  was  approved  of  by  all. 
Mr.  Reyner  immediately  put  his  name  down 
for  two  guineas,  others  subscribed  one. 
Each  gave  what  he  could  afford,  and  then  Mr. 
C.  went  round  the  neighborhood  to  raise  con- 
tributions from  among  the  inhabitants.  By 
the  evening  he  had  collected  upwards  of  £20, 
which  he  placed  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Reyner, 
who  acted  as  treasurer;  and  that  benevolent 
gentleman  then  collected  to  the  amount  of  £50 
more.  The  first  thing  they  did  was  to  purchase 
coals,  which  were  then  2s.  3d,  per  bushel,  and 
a  supply  of  twenty  chaldrons  was  obtained,  and 
deposited  in  a  gentleman's  coach-house,  the 
use  of  which  had  been  obtained  for  the  occa- 
sion. Mr.  Cranfield  was  here  to  be  seen 
every  morning  with  his  apron  on,  busily 
employed  in  serving  out  the  coals  at  sixpence 
per  bushel,  tickets  for  which  had  previously 
been  obtained.  Bread  and  other  necessary 
articles  were  provided;  and  the  miseries  of 
the  poor,  during  the  whole  of  the  winter,  were 
greatly  alleviated.  Through  the  activity  of 
friends,  contributions  poured  in  abundantly 
from  all  quarters,  so  that  when  the  frost  broke 


GO  M  E  M  O  I  R      O  F 

up,  Mr.  Reyner  had   £50  in  hand,  ready  for 

the  next  winter.  Many  of  the  poor,  by  these 
means,  were  brought  to  hear  the  gospel,  and 
several  were  caught  in  its  net. 

About  the  end  of  1791,  Mr.  Cranfield,  in 
order  to  facilitate  the  spread  of  the  gospel 
among  the  poor,  opened  a  Sabbath  school  at 
his  own  house,  and  was  assisted  in  the  work 
by  Mr.  Gould;  while  his  wife  instructed  the 
girls.  The  number  of  children  soon  amounted 
to  sixty;  and  his  room  being  too  small,  he 
removed  the  school  to  the  factory,  where  the 
gospel  was  preached  on  the  Sabbath. 

In  the  summer,  public  service  was  frequently 
conducted  on  the  open  green,  in  front  of  Mr. 
C.'s  dwelling;  and  many  were  thus  brought  to 
hear  the  gospel  who  would  not  have  consented 
to  enter  into  "temples  made  by  hands."  In 
the  autumn,  application  was  made  to  the  Rev. 
Rowland  Hill,  to  preach  on  the  green,  which 
he  consented  to  do,  and  the  multitude  that 
assembled  to  hear  him  w^as  truly  gratifying. 
This  put  new  life  into  the  whole  party.  The 
zeal  of  Mr.  Reyner,  and  other  affluent  friends, 
was  stimulated,  and  the  design  was  formed 
of  building  a  new  place  of  worship.  Subscrip- 
tions were  raised  for  this  purpose,  and  eventu- 
ally a  neat  chapel  was  built  near  the  green. 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  61 

Shortly  after  the  removal  of  the  school  to 
the  Factory,  Mr.  Cranfield  left  it  in  the  hands 
of  some  Christian  friends,  and  proceeded  to 
Stoke-Newington,  where  he  opened  another 
school,  and  established  a  prayer-meeting  at  a 
friend's  house,  named  Denni'ngton.  At  this 
place  he  labored  for  some  time,  and  then 
resigned  it  into  the  hands  of  other  laborers, 
and  opened  another  at  Hornsey. 

Here  he  hired  a  room  in  the  sexton's  house, 
and  commenced  a  canvass  for  children.  Sev- 
eral attended,  and  many  of  the  poor  inhabitants 
were  brought  to  hear  the  gospel.  The  place 
being  small,  it  was  proposed  to  assemble  the 
people  in  the  open  air.  Accordingly,  a  minis- 
ter having  been  provided,  the  friends  were 
collected  together  from  Kingsland,  among 
whom  was  Mr.  Reyner,  and  the  gospel  trumpet 
was  sounded  at  Hornsey.  But  no  sooner  had 
the  minister  opened  his  commission,  than  the 
whole  village  was  in  an  uproar.  The  inhabit- 
ants, headed  by  a  rich  merchant,  and  several 
persons  of  influence  in  the  town,  came  in  a 
body,  with  kettles,  drums,  rattles,  bells  and 
clubs,  making  the  most  discordant  sounds; 
but  in  spite  of  this  treatment,  the  preacher  still 
continued  his  address,  and  the  mob,  finding 
that  noise  was  of  little  avail,  tried  the  effect  of 
6 


62  MEMOIR     OF 

blows.  Some,  therefore,  went  to  work  with 
sticks,  and  others  with  stones,  by  which  several 
persons  were  injured,  and  the  little  party  was 
at  length  beaten  out  of  the  village. 

But  Mr.  Cranfield  was  not  a  person  who 
could  be  put  down  in  this  way.  He  was 
determined  that  the  poor  should  have  the 
gospel  preached  to  them,  therefore,  on  the 
following  morning,  he  and  his  friends  proceed- 
ed to  the  police  office,  in  Worship  street,  and 
took  out  warrants  against  the  merchant  and 
other  ringleaders  of  the  mob,  who  were  repri- 
manded by  the  magistrate;  and,  as  the  charge 
was  not  pressed,  the  offenders  were  dismissed, 
after  having  entered  into  recognizances  to 
keep  the  peace. 

The  vicar  now  sent  for  the  poor  sexton,  and 
threatened  him  with  dismissal  from  his  office; 
he,  thereupon,  came  to  Mr.  Cranfield,  and 
requested  him  to  remove  his  school  to  some 
other  house.  With  this  request  Mr.  C.  com- 
plied, and  hired  a  room  at  the  west  end  of  the 
village,  where  the  school  was  continued;  and 
the  work  went  on  so  prosperously,  that, 
eventually,  a  chapel  was  built,  and  a  great 
reformation  took  place  in  that  benighted 
neighborhood. 

About    1794,    the    minister    at    Kingsland 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  63 

having  embraced  Arian  principles,  a  division- 
arose  in  the  little  church;  some  of  the  con- 
gregation supported  him,  but  many  left,  and 
joined  other  churches,  while  a  lew  relapsed 
into  a  backsliding  state,  among  whom,  it  is  to 
be  regretted,  was  the  subject  of  this  memoir. 

Previous  to  this  time,  a  society  had  been 
formed  in  London,  denominated  the  "London 
Corresponding  Society,"  for  the  avowed  pur- 
pose of  corresponding  with  the  leaders  of  the 
French  revolution,  and  of  obtaining  a  reforma- 
tion of  abuses  in  the  state,  by  other  means 
than  those  pointed  out  by  the  constitution  as 
legitimate.  The  meetings  of  this  society  were 
occasionally  attended  by  Mr.  C,  and  at  length, 
being  enticed  by  the  cry  of  liberty,  he  was 
induced  to  enrol  his  name  as  a  member;  and, 
with  his  characteristic  ardor,  employed  all  his 
energies  in  promoting  the  objects  of  the  insti- 
tution. He  delivered  lectures  upon  the  liberty 
of  the  subject,  and  published  a  two-penny 
pamphlet,  consisting  of  extracts  from  a  work 
of  Dr.  Price,  entitled,  "Observations  upon 
Civil  Liberty,"  which  was  much  applauded  by 
the  reform  party. 

Though  Mr.  Cran field  had  not  fallen  into 
open  sin,  yet,  by  attending  these  meetings,  he 
lost    his   spirituality.       His   conscience   often 


64  MEMOIR      OF 

accused  him,  and  he  frequently  resolved  to 
withdraw  himself  from  the  connexion;  but,  by 
entreaties  and  persuasions,  his  resolutions 
were  as  often  broken.  At  length  his  wife 
(whose  heart  seemed  almost  broken  at  this 
defection  from  his  religious  principles),  under 
the  influence  of  prayer,  wrote  him  a  most 
affectionate  letter,  and  laid  it  upon  his  dress- 
ing table.  On  coming  home  late  at  night,  the 
neatly  folded  epistle  caught  his  attention.  He 
opened  it;  read  its  contents;  and  these  words 
were  powerfully  brought  home  to  his  conscience. 
"My  dear  husband,  can  one  go  upon  hot  coals, 
and  his  ^eet  not  be  burned?"  Conviction  in- 
stantly darted  into  his  mind.  He  stood  self- 
condemned;  and  the  next  moment  found  him 
on  his  knees,  confessing  his  transgressions 
before  God,  imploring  his  forgiveness,  and 
begging  his  assistance  in  enabling  him  to  lead 
a  new  life.  These  days  of  darkness  he  ever 
afterwards  deplored,  and  the  remembrance  of 
thern  often  excited  him  to  deep  humiliation 
and  self-abasement.  In  detailing  these  cir- 
cumstances in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  some  years 
afterwards,  he  says,  "False  doctrines  having 
been  introduced  into  our  church,  I  contended 
with  the  minister,  which  got  me  ill-will  among 
the  great  folks.     Disunion  took  place;    some 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  65 

followed  the  Wesleyans;  the  poorer  sort  joined 
the  congregation  at  Hornerton,  under  Mr. 
Eyre;  others  went  to  the  Tabernacle;  and 
some  got  into  a  backsliding  state,  of  which  I, 
to  my  shame,  was  one;  so  that  our  school  was 
neglected,  our  prayer-meetings  deserted.  O, 
how  true  is  that  word,  '  When  Ephraim  was  a 
child,  then  I  loved  him.'  There  was  now  no 
preaching  on  the  green;  our  zeal  for  souls 
was  abated.  Ah  me,  what  a  black  catalogue 
presents  itself.  O,  where  are  those  delightful 
seasons  of  hearing,  praying  and  Christian 
conversation? 

'What  peaceful  hours  1  then  enjoyed, 
How  sweet  their  memory  still.' 

"Shall  I  ever  again  in  this  life  taste  such 
sweetness  in  the  love  of  my  Saviour,  as  I  then 
experienced?  What  greatly  added  to  my 
distress,  was  the  death  of  my  spiritual  guide, 
the  Rev.  W.  Romaine.  O,  how  my  mis- 
improvement  under  him,  wounded  my  guilty 
soul;  it  was  like  a  dagger.  I  followed  him  to 
the  grave  with  a  heart  full  of  sorrow,  and  was 
for  some  time  like  a  sheep  which  no  man  took 
up,  wandering  far  from  the  fold." 

After  passing   a  restless  night,   occasioned 

by  the  tender  reproof  of  his  wife,  so  judiciously 
6* 


66  MEMOIR      OF 

administered,  he  arose  from  his  bed  with  a 
fixed  determination  of  never  again  being  seen 
in  the  camp  of  the  enemy;  and  after  much 
time  spent  in  prayer  and  self-abasement,  he 
wrote    and    signed    the     following     affecting 

document: — 

'•'Wednesday,  19th  June,  1794. 

"It  is  high  time  to  awake  out  of  sleep." 
"I,  Thomas  Cranfield,  have  given  a  most 
awful  proof  of  apostasy  from  God  for  near 
three  months.  My  conscience  has  been  much 
burdened  on  account  of  it,  but  to  no  purpose, 
because  I  did  not  watch.  I  am  this  day  deter- 
mined to  set  about  a  reformation;  but,  alas, 
unless  God  lay  hold  of  me,  I  am  undone;  for 
the  work  alone  must  be  by  him;  therefore,  I 
hope,  by  his  Spirit,  to  look  to  him  for  strength, 
in  the  first  place,  to  break  off  my  sins  that 
beset  me.  And  O,  that  God  would  help  me 
in  this  great  work!  The  next  thing,  to  come 
out  from  the  world.  Lord,  lay  hold  on  me,  as 
thou  didst  upon  Lot,  for  I  linger.  The  next 
thing,  to  neglect  no  known  duty, — family  or 
secret  prayer.  The  next  thing,  to  attend  more 
to  my  business.  And  the  next  thing,  to  spend 
but  little  money.  This  is  the  way  I  mean  to 
set  out  to  work:— First  of  all,  to  beg  God's 
blessing  on  the  work;  second,  to  start  back  at 


THOMAS      CRANF1ELD.  67 

the  appearance  of  evil,  and  cry  to  God  for 
strength  against  it;  third,  to  break  off  all 
worldly  company;  fourth,  to  pray  as  soon  as  I 
am  out  of  bed, — at  breakfast  with  my  family, 
at  noon  by  myself, — in  the  evening  with  my 
family,  afterwards  by  myself;  fifth,  to  give  all 
diligence  to  my  business,  and  not  to  spend  my 
time  idly  in  the  least.  And  now,  Lord,  help 
me.  O,  my  Saviour,  Jesus,  be  present  with 
me  in  this  great  work,  and  thou  shalt  have 
the  glory. 

"Signed  in  the  presence  of  God,  and  in  his 
fear.  Thomas  Cranfield." 

Thus  the  Lord  again  delivered  his  servant 
from  the  snare  of  the  fowler,  through  the 
affectionate  solicitude  and  fervent  prayers  of 
the  devoted  partner  of  his  days.  Who  does 
not  admire  such  a  mode  of  administering 
reproof?  Here  open  rebuke  and  loud  decla- 
mation would  have  entirely  failed;  but  a  soft 
tongue  breaketh  the  bone;  and  a  few  lines  of 
gentle  remonstrance,  indited  under  the  influ- 
ence of  prayer,  and  sweetened  by  the  most 
tender  affection,  reclaim  the  wanderer,  and 
bring  him  back  to  the  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of 
his  soul.  "A  word  fitly  spoken  is  like  apples 
of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver." 


68  MEMOIR     OF 


CHAPTER  IV. 

FROM  HIS  QUITTING  THE  LONDON  CORRESPONDING 
SOCIETY,  TO  THE  OPENING  OF  THE  MINT  SUNDAY- 
SCHOOL. 

When  the  Christian  once  lays  down  the 
weapons  of  his  spiritual  warfare,  and  suffers 
himself  to  be  taken  captive  by  the  enemy  of 
souls,  how  difficult  is  his  return  to  the  Captain 
of  his  salvation!  By  what  slow  degrees  does 
he  obtain  that  confidence  in  God,  and  that 
assurance  of  faith,  which  he  once  possessed! 
Like  Pilgrim  when  he  lost  his  roll,  how  many 
bitter  reflections  and  achings  of  heart  are  the 
result,  before  he  again  recovers  the  evidence 
of  his  sonship,  and  can  "read  his  title  clear  to 
mansions  in  the  skies!"  The  truth  of  this  ob- 
servation was  severely  felt  by  the  subject  of 
this  memoir,  who  accordingly,  on  the  day 
after  he  had  signed  his  solemn  resolution  of 
future  amendment,  thus  writes: — 

"Thursday,  19th  June,  1794. 

"This  day  I  have  neglected  family  prayer, 
and  my  mind  is  much  clouded;  but  I  hope  God 
will  help  me  against  sin  and  the  tempter's  in- 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  69 

fluence.  The  Lord  has  promised  strength;  I 
have  sought  it  by  secret  prayer;  and  1  hope, 
notwithstanding  all,  that  I  shall  have  it.  In 
the  evening  somewhat  refreshed  by  hearing 
Mr.  Wildbore.  May  the  truth  have  a  lasting 
impression.     Amen. 

"Friday. — Somewhat  more  comfortable  in 
my  mind,  but  dare  not  as  yet  call  God  my 
Father." 

From  this  time  to  the  close  of  the  year  1796, 
Mr.  Cranfield  made  no  efforts  worthy  of  notice 
to  spread  the  Redeemer's  kingdom.  His  faith 
continuing  weak,  through  the  temporary  sus- 
pension of  that  spiritual  agency,  from  which, 
alone,  it  derives  all  its  vigor  and  activity,  he 
feared  to  commence  any  fresh  operations 
against  the  powers  of  darkness,  lest,  in  an  evil 
hour,  he  should  again  bring  discredit  on  the 
cause  he  still  loved,  and  wished  to  serve. 
This  period  he  ever  afterwards  considered  as 
a  blank  in  his  existence,  and  the  loss  of  those 
precious  months  he  ever  deplored  as  a  misim- 
proved  opportunity,  of  which  he  should  have  to 
render  a  solemn  account. 

About  the  commencement  of  1797,  he  re- 
moved to  Hoxton,  and  attended  the  ministry 
of  that    celebrated    divine,   the    Rev.   Robert 


70  MEMOIK      OF 

Simpson,  at  the  little  chapel  adjoining  the 
academy,  where  he  for  sometime  officiated  as 
clerk.  Here  he  became  acquainted  with  sev- 
eral of  the  students,  among  whom,  were  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Morrison  of  China,  George  Clayton, 
George  Collison,  Hartnell,  James,  and  Kent; 
most  of  whom,  afterwards,  assisted  him  in  his 
renewed  attempts  to  win  souls  to  Christ.  He 
also  frequently  attended  the  week-night  ser- 
vices at  the  Tabernacle,  and,  by  degrees, 
regained  that  spirituality  of  mind,  that  love  for 
the  sacredc  Sriptures,  and  that  ardent  zeal  for 
the  glory  of  God,  and  the  welfare  of  souls,  for 
which  he  had  been  so  eminently  distinguished. 
He  was,  also,  greatly  edified  by  the  preaching 
of  the  Rev.  John  Berridge.  That  excellent 
man,  when  in  town,  had  a  class  of  young  men, 
who  used  to  meet  him  one  morning  in  the 
week,  before  breakfast,  and  at  these  meetings, 
Mr.  C.  was  a  constant  attendant.  It  happened 
on  one  occasion,  that  Mr.  Cranfield  was  more 
than  usually  anxious  for  a  word  of  exhortation, 
but  to  his  great  disappointment,  the  reverend 
gentleman  continued  to  call  on  the  young  men, 
in  continued  succession,  to  engage  in  prayer. 
"More  prayer,"  he  said,  at  the  close  of  each 
petition.  "We  cannot  have  too  much  prayer;" 
and  thus  they  were  occupied  till  the  time  had 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  71 

arrived  for  separation.  Before,  however,  he 
closed  the  meeting,  Mr.  Berridge  addressed 
them  as  follows: — "My  dear  young  friends,  I 
wish  to  impress  upon  all  your  minds  the  neces- 
sity and  importance  of  prayer.  Never  leave 
your  room  in  the  morning,  without  spending  a 
few  minutes  in  this  holy  and  delightful  exercise. 
You  must  know,  I  am  very  fond  of  a  garden, 
and  take  much  pleasure  in  rearing  flowers. 
One  day  a  friend  of  mine  sent  me  a  beautiful 
flower,  of  which  I  was  anxious  to  preserve  the 
seed.  On  a  fine  summer's  morning  I  arose 
early  for  this  purpose;  and  so  intent  were  my 
thoughts  upon  the  subject,  that  I  went  out  into 
my  garden  without  prayer:  but  what  was  my 
surprise  and  disapointment,  when  I  saw  a  spar- 
row just  flying  away  with  the  last  remaining 
portion  of  seed!  Vexed  at  this  incident,  I  said 
in  my  mind,  'What!  am  I  not  to  have  a  flower, 
Lord?'  My  negligence  was  then  brought  to 
remembrance,  and  I  inwardly  replied,  'No, 
John,  you  do  not  deserve  it,  you  thought  more 
about  your  flower,  than  about  prayer.'"  This 
little  anecdote  made  a  strong  impression  on 
the  mind  of  Mr.  Cranfield,  and  he  often  related 
it,  in  his  latter  days,  for  the  encouragement 
and  edification  of  others. 

Soon  after  his  taking  up  his   residence   at 


/  }&  M  E  M  O  I  R      O  F 

Hoxton,  his  mind  was  much  distressed  by 
the  abounding  vice  and  immorality  which  he 
witnessed  in  every  part  of  London,  and  he  began 
to  consider  what  could  be  done  towards  stem- 
ing  this  torrent  of  wickedness.  Whilst  reflect- 
ing on  the  subject,  he  cast  his  eye  on  a  pam- 
phlet which  he  had  formerly  published  for  the 
London  Corresponding  Society  ;  and  the  thought 
occured  to  him,  that  "it  would  be  best  to  fight 
Satan  with  his  own  weapons.'5  He,  therefore, 
called  upon  his  friend  Mr.  Burchett;  and  after 
prayer  for  direction,  it  was  agreed  that  a  relig- 
ious tract  should  be  printed,  and  gratuitously 
distributed  by  them  in  the  streets  of  London 
and  its  vicinity.  The  task  of  drawing  up  and 
printing  this  tract,  Mr.  B.  took  upon  himself. 
It  was  agreed  that  the  title  of  it  should  be 
"Palm  Sunday,"  and  that  one  thousand  copies 
should  be  struck  off.  This  being  the  first  re- 
ligious tract  which  is  known  to  have  been  print- 
ed for  gratuitous  circulation  in  London,  a  part 
of  the  interesting  document  is  here  inserted. 

"  ON  PALM  SUNDAY. 

"  Ani  a  very  s;reat  multitude  snreid  their  garments  in  the  way; 
others  cut  down  branches  from  the  trees,  and  strewed  them  in  the 
way."— Matt.  21  :  8. 

"  It  being  the  practice  of  multitudes  in  Lon- 
don, to  go  out  on  this  day  for  the  purpose 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  73 

gathering  palm,  and  it  being  considered  that 
most  of  such  persons  thus  act,  merely  from 
custom,  or  from  the  sensual  gratification  arising 
from  a  pleasant  walk,  the  following  hints  are 
suggested,  in  hope  that  they  may  lead  the 
minds  of  some,  at  least,  to  that  great  and  glo- 
rious Being,  whose  entrance  into  Jerusalem  is, 
alas,  ignorantly  commemorated  by  the  practice 
alluded  to. 

"The  history  of  Christ's  entrance  into  Je- 
rusalem will  be  found  in  the  21st  of  Matthew, 
11th  of  Mark,  19th  of  Luke,  and  12th  of  St. 
John. 

"Compare  your  conduct  with  that  of  the 
disciples  here  mentioned.  Are  you  rejoicing 
and  praising  God  for  the  mighty  works  which 
he  hath  done?  Are  your  minds  in  contempla- 
tion of  that  Jesus,  who,  although  he  was  Lord 
of  all,  yet  came  down  from  heaven  to  proclaim 
peace  to  a  lost  world.  Men  and  brethren,  be 
wise;  consider  your  ways.  It  is  a  solemn  fact, 
that  ere-long,  your  eyes  will  be  closed  upon  the 
beautiful  scene  that  now  surrounds  you,  and 
your  souls  will  be  hurried  into  the  presence  of 
God. 

"You  cannot  doubt  but  that,  as  spirits,  you 
were  created  for  the  glory  of  God,  who  is  the 
Father  of  spirits.  Sin  has,  however,  so 
7 


74  MEMOIR     OF 

changed  you,  that  you  are  now  seeking  happi- 
ness in  breaking  the  Sabbath,  a  day  appointed 
by  Jesus  for  holy  worship.  Will  your  present 
pursuits  abate  the  sting  of  a  guilty  conscience? 
Will  the  reflection  of  Sabbath-days  spent  in 
indolence  and  pleasure,  make  dying  easy? 
Remember,  you  are  still  on  praying  ground, 
and  within  the  reach  of  mercy.  God  waits  to 
be  gracious.  He  has  sent  his  Son  to  die  for 
sinners,  such  as  you  are.  Fly,  then,  to  him, 
and  begin  a  life  of  reading  and  hearing  the 
word  of  God — of  meditation  and  prayer — en- 
joying the  peace  which  flows  from  reconcilia- 
tion with  God,  through  the  atonement  of  Jesus: 
and  thus  you  will  be  happy  here,  and  infinitely 
so  hereafter.  But  O,  trifle  not  with  your 
souls,  or  with  the  concerns  of  eternity,  nor 
suffer  this  friendly  admonition  to  lose  its  effect 
or  to  rise  against  you  another  day.  'Time  is 
on  the  wing!'  Judgment  is  rapidly  advancing. 
'Prepare  to  meet  your  God.' 

'  HYMN. 

'  Hosarma  to  the  royal  Son 
Of  David's  ancient  line  ; 
His  natures  two,  his  person  one — 
Mysterious  and  divine. 

The  root  of  David,  here  we  find, 
And  offspring,  is  the  same — 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  75 

Eternity  and  time  are  joined 
In  our  Immanuel's  name. 

Blest  he  that  comes  to  wretched  men 
With  peaceful  news  from  heaven  3 

Hosannas  of  the  highest  strain 
To  Christ  the  Lord  be  given. 

Let  mortals  ne'er  refuse  to  take 

Th  '  hosannas  on  their  tongues  ; 
Lest  rocks  and  stones  should  rise  and  break 

Their  silence  into  songs.'  " 

On  Palm  Sunday  morning,  1797,  the  two 
friends  met  at  Shoreditch  Church,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  commencing  the  circulation  of  these 
tracts;  Mr.  Burchett  took  the  road  towards 
Hornsey;  and  Mr.  Cranfield  that  towards 
Whitechapel.  After  distributing  them  in  this 
direction,  Mr.  C.  returned  through  Thames- 
street,  and  crossing  over  the  bridge,  proceeded 
to  Rotherhithe.  Here  he  was  struck  with  the 
awful  scenes  of  depravity  which  every  where 
presented  themselves;  and  he  immediately 
formed  the  resolution  of  forthwith  opening  a 
Sabbath  school  in  this  abandoned  neighborhood. 
In  the  middle  of  the  week,  therefore,  he  again 
visited  it,  hired  a  room  in  Adam  street,  and 
issued  a  circular,  informing  the  inhabitants 
that  a  school  would  be  opened  on  the  following 
Sabbath  for  gratuitous  instruction.     On  Easter 


76  MEMOIR     OF 

Sunday,  therefore,  Mr.  C.  commenced  the 
work  of  instruction,  when  upwards  of  twenty 
scholars  attended.  At  this  time  he  had  three 
children  living;  and  as  he  could  not  obtain  any 
other  assistant,  his  wife  attended  the  school 
with  him  every  Sabbath,  though  with  an  infant 
at  her  breast;  Mr.  C.  carried  another  child  in 
his  arms;  and  the  third  was  left  at  home  with 
a  female  servant.  They  dined  in  the  school- 
room, and  returned  home  in  the  afternoon  to 
tea.  The  number  of  children  increasing  to 
upwards  of  one  hundred,  Mr.  C.  applied  to 
Thomas  Wilson,  Esq.  for  assistance,  who 
gave  him  a  recommendatory  letter  to  some 
ministers;  but  the  only  help  he  could  obtain 
was  the  privilege  of  being  allowed  to  take  the 
children  to  the  Rev.  John  Townsend's  chapel, 
Jamaica  Row,  for  public  worship. 

About  this  time,  infidelity  appeared  to  be  at 
its  height,  and  many  cheap,  blasphemous  pub- 
lications, consisting  of  extracts  from  the  works 
of  Thomas  Paine  and  Voltaire,  were  freely 
circulated.  These  publications  were  commonly 
known  by  the  name  of  "Pigs'  Meat."  At  the 
shop  where  these  infidel  tracts  were  sold,  was 
a  kind  of  box  for  the  reception  of  communica- 
tions from  correspondents,  and  this  box  was 
called  the  "Pig  Trough" — a  truly  fit  appella- 
tion for  the  reception  of  such  productions. 


THOMAS      CRANF1ELD.  77 

In  order  to  divert  the  appetite  of  the  reading 
public  from  such  unwholesome  and  disgusting 
food,  Mr.  Cranfield,  by  the  advice  of  Mr.  Bur- 
chett,  wrote  a  pamphlet,  entitled,  "Select  Say- 
ings of  the  Rev.  William  Roinaine,"  which 
sayings  Mr.  C.  had  taken  down  at  Blackfriars' 
and  St.  Dunstan's  Churches.  The  manuscript, 
when  completed,  was  submitted  to  Dr.  Simp- 
son; and  he  having  approved  of  it,  one  thou- 
sand copies  were  immediately  printed  and  cir- 
culated at  Mr.«  C.'s  expense.  Of  these,  five 
hundred  were  distributed  gratis,  and  the  re- 
mainder were  sold  at  the  doors  of  the  Taber- 
nacle, Tottenham  Court  Road,  and  Surrey 
Chapels,  at  one  penny  each.  He  afterwards 
distributed  in  a  similar  manner  one  thousand 
copies  of  the  Rev.  William  Romaine's  Sermon 
on  the  107th  Psalm;  and  at  a  subsequent  period 
he  published  an  "Address  to  the  Rising  Gen- 
eration." This  practice,  however,  he  discon- 
tinued, upon  the  formation  of  the  Religious 
Tract  Society  in  1799. 

The  Sabbath  school,  at  Rotherhithe,  went 
on  prosperously,  and  the  Lord  was  pleased  to 
bless  the  instruction  in  a  remarkable  manner 
to  several  of  the  children.  One  of  these,  a 
little  girl,  was  called  to  her  rest  about  nine 
months  after  the  opening  of  the  school.  Mr. 
7* 


78  MEMOIROF 

Cranfield  visited  her  in  her  illness,  and  she 
died,  leaving  an  interesting  testimony  to  the 
advantages  of  Sabbath  school  instruction. 
Several  years  afterwards,  Mr.  C.  met  a  friend 
in  Southwark,  who  asked  him  if  he  did  not 
recollect  presenting  a  youth  with  a  Testament 
at  Rotherhithe  Sabbath  school,  as  a  reward 
for  learning  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians  in 
one  week.  Mr.  C.  replied  in  the  affirmative. 
"Well,"  said  his  friend,  "that  person  is  now 
alive ;  I  saw  him  the  other  day,  and  he  informed 
me  of  the  fact,  showing  me,  at  the  same  time, 
the  Testament  you  gave  him.  After  he  left 
the  school  he  went  to  sea,  and  that  Testament 
has  been  four  voyages  with  him  to  the  East 
Indies.  He  told  me  that  it  was  the  man  of  his 
counsel,  his  chief  companion  in  all  his  troubles, 
and  that  it  had  been  made  a  great  blessing  to 
his  soul." 

The  more  Mr.  Cranfield  engaged  in  Sabbath 
school  instruction,  the  more  convinced  he  be- 
came of  its  great  importance  and  utility;  and 
now,  being  assisted  at  Rotherhithe  by  some 
members  of  Mr.  Townsend's  congregation,  he, 
in  December,  1797,  opened  another  Sabbath 
school  in  a  brick-maker's  house,  near  the  High 
Cross,  Tottenham.  At  this  place  were  several 
youths  of  most  abandoned  character,  and  he 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  79 

calculated  upon  receiving  much  annoyance 
from  them;  but,  contrary  to  his  expectations, 
these  were  among  the  earliest  who  applied  for 
admission.  At  first  they  were  rather  unruly, 
but  the  firmness  of  Mr.  C,  tempered  by  kind- 
ness, soon  reduced  them  to  submission.  Some 
of  them,  as  soon  as  they  began  to  perceive  the 
benefits  of  instruction,  formed  the  plan  of 
meeting  at  each  other's  houses  after  the  labors 
of  the  day,  for  the  purpose  of  learning  to  read; 
and  to  facilitate  their  progress  in  this  exercise, 
they  obtained  the  assistance  of  the  boys  in  the 
Bible  class,  for  which  they  allowed  them  each 
one  penny  per  week.  Four  of  these  ringlead- 
ers in  wickedness  were  subsequently  called  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  Mr.  Burchett 
afterwards  obtained  a  license  for  public  wor- 
ship in  this  room,  at  which  some  of  the  students 
of  Hoxton  academy  were  accustomed  to  preach 
on  the  Sabbath  evening,  among  whom  were 
the  Rev.  George  Clayton,  and  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Morrison. 

At  this  time  the  exertions  of  Mr.  Cranfield 
were  very  great.  When  teachers  could  be 
obtained  for  the  Tottenham  school,  he  would 
sometimes  go  from  his  house  at  Hoxton,  to 
the  Rotherhithe  school,  where  the  cause, 
through    his  absence,  had  begun  to  decline; 


80  MEMOIR     OF 

teach  the  children  till  four  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, take  tea  at  Hoxton,  then  accompany  the 
preacher  to  Tottenham.  At  the  conclusion  of 
the  evening  service,  he  would  sometimes  con- 
duct a  prayer-meeting  till  nine  o'clock,  and 
return  afterwards  to  his  family  at  Hoxton. 

About  the  spring  of  1798,  Miss  Dunkin,  a 
member  of  Mr.  Townsend's  congregation,  un- 
dertook the  charge  of  the  Rotherhithe  school, 
and  afterwards  added  to  it  a  school  of  industry 
for  girls. 

Being  thus  freed  from  the  care  of  this  school, 
Mr.  C.  directed  his  whole  attention  to  the  one 
at  Tottenham,  where  he  continued  to  labor 
with  great  success  till  the  end  of  July  follow- 
ing, though  not  without  much  opposition.  Sev- 
eral of  the  children  and  adults  who  attended 
the  school,  were  employed  at  the  mills  of  Mr. 
Pratt,  who  was  considered  a  man  of  great 
authority  by  the  inhabitants  of  Tottenham,  and 
he  now  forbade  the  attendance  of  all  persons 
in  his  employ,  on  pain  of  being  instantly  dis- 
charged. Mr.  C.  also  experienced  much  op- 
position from  the  parochial  authorities,  who 
were  continually  raising  a  disturbance  at  the 
door,  and  threatening  him  with  prosecutions 
for  provoking  a  breach  of  the  peace,  and  for 
holding  an  unlawful  assembly.     Notwithstand- 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  81 

ing  these  annoyances,  the  work  went  on  pros- 
perously. Such  interruptions  and  intimidations 
had  as  little  effect  in  turning  him  from  his  pur- 
pose, as  those  he  had  before  experienced  under 
the  wall  of  the  Vinegar  Yard,  and  at  Hornsey. 
At  length  this  school,  also,  was  taken  off  his 
hands,  by  some  Wesleyans,  who  subsequently 
erected  a  small  chapel  near  the  spot.  For  the 
present,  however,  he  still  continued  to  attend 
the  evening  worship. 

Activity  being  a  leading  feature  of  Mr.  Cran- 
field's  mind,  he  was  always  diligently  employed. 
He  could  not  endure  the  thought  that,  in  a 
world  filled  with  sin  and  misery,  he  should  sit 
still  and  look  on,  without  devising  methods  to 
benefit  those  around  him;  and  while  souls  were 
perishing  for  lack  of  knowledge,  he  could  not 
forbear  exerting  himself  to  the  very  utmost,  in 
order  to  communicate  the  light  of  truth,  by 
which  he  had  been  made  wise  unto  salvation. 
On  resigning  the  charge  of  the  school  at  Tot- 
tenham, therefore,  he  consulted  with  Messrs. 
Pound  and  Carter,  fellow-members  with  him 
of  Mr.  Towers'  congregation,  as  to  what  place 
he  should  next  occupy,  with  a  view  to  make  an 
attack  upon  the  enemy;  when  Kent  street, 
Southwark,  was  proposed  as  the  most  eligible 
spot.     He,  therefore,  took  an  early  opportunity 


82  MEMOIROF 

of  reconnoitering  this  strong  hold  of  the  enemy, 
and  found  it  inhabited  by  the  lowest  of  the  low, 
and  the  vilest  of  the  vile.  Gipsies,  harlots, 
thieves,  and  such  like  characters,  were  to  be 
met  with  in  almost  every  house.  Of  late  years 
this  street  has  not  been  so  notorious  as  formerly, 
but  at  that  time,  men,  women,  children,  asses, 
pigs,  and  dogs,  were  often  found  living  together 
in  the  same  room;  while  swearing,  blasphemy, 
and  the  most  obscene  conversation,  saluted  the 
ear  at  almost  every  door.  To  use  his  own 
words,  "It  was  the  very  place  of  dragons." 
The  children  appeared  in  a  most  deplorable 
condition,  few  of  them  being  more  than  half 
clad;  their  matted  hair  and  dirty  appearance 
inducing  the  supposition  that  they  had  scarcely 
been  washed  or  combed  from  their  birth. 

Mr.  Cranfield  met  his  friends  in  the  evening, 
and  reported  what  he  had  seen,  when  one  ex- 
claimed, "Can  any  good  thing  come  out  of 
Kent  street?"  It  was  deemed  advisable,  how- 
ever, to  try  what  could  be  done,  and  the  next 
day  Mr.  C.  hired  a  room  at  No.  124,  at  a  rent 
of  three  shillings  per  week;  and  on  the  first 
Sabbath  in  August,  1798,  the  school  was 
opened.  The  children  attended  in  considera- 
ble numbers,  and  after  he  and  his  friends  had 
instructed  them  for  some  time,  he  ventured  to 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  83 

take  them  to  Collyer's  Rents  chapel;  but  it 
was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  he  could 
keep  them  in  order.  Scarcely  one  of  them 
had  ever  before  seen  the  inside  of  a  chapel; 
and  so  rude  and  uncultivated  were  they,  that 
when  the  service  was  over,  and  they  had  got 
into  the  street  again,  they  gave  three  cheers 
for  the  minister. 

The  opposition  which  he  and  his  friends  en- 
countered in  visiting  and  teaching  in  this  dis- 
trict was  dreadful.  Every  species  of  insult 
was  heaped  upon  them;  they  were  pelted  with 
filth  of  all  descriptions,  and  dirty  water  was 
frequently  thrown  out  of  the  windows  upon 
their  heads.  This  treatment  cooled  the  zeal 
of  the  two  friends,  but  Mr.  Cranfield,  nothing 
intimidated,  pushed  forward  the  work  with 
courage  and  perseverance,  and,  though  alone, 
he  feared  not  to  venture  into  the  dwellings 
of  the  most  desperate  characters,  in  search 
of  precious  souls — 

"  Unshaken,  unseduced,  unterrified, 
His  loyalty  he  kept,  his  love,  his  zeal ! 
Nor  number,  nor  example  with  him  wrought 
To  swerve  from  truth,  or  change  his  constant  mind, 
Though  single." 

Upon  the  desertion  of  his  helpers,  Mr.  C, 
finding  it  impossible  to  do  the   whole  of  the 


84  MEMOIR     OF 

work  himself,  applied  to  his  wife,  who,  not- 
withstanding the  difficulties  and  discourage- 
ments with  which  she  knew  she  should  have 
to  contend,  rather  than  the  cause  should  be 
abandoned,  readily  consented  to  accompany 
him.  This  was  no  easy  task,  as  she  had  to 
travel  from  Hoxton,  a  distance  of  about  three 
miles,  leading  two  children,  while  her  husband 
carried  a  third.  Nor  was  this  employment  of 
the  most  pleasant  description.  The  children 
frequently  came  so  dirty,  that  the  color  of 
their  skins  could  scarcely  be  ascertained, 
while  their  clothes,  in  many  cases,  were  filled 
with  vermin.  In  course  of  time,  however, 
their  appearance  was  greatly  improved,  and 
cleanliness  was  made  indispensably  necessary 
to  their  continuance  in  the  school. 

On  the  approach  of  winter,  the  number  of 
children  gradually  diminished,  as  most  of  them 
were  unprovided  with  covering  for  the  head 
and  feet:  those,  however,  who  had  been  con- 
stant in  their  attendance,  were  clothed  by  Mr. 
C.  to  the  best  of  his  ability;  and  although  at 
this  time  his  income  was  considerable,  yet  he 
found  it  insufficient,  consistently  with  the  cred- 
itable maintenance  of  his  family,  to  purchase 
such  apparel  for  them  as  was  continually 
needed. 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  85 

In  the  spring  of  1799,  finding  the  work  too 
much  f>r  himself  and  his  wife,  especially  as  he 
was  still  obliged  to  attend  the  evening  preach- 
ing at  Tottenham,  he  applied  to  several  persons 
for  assistance,    but   in    vain.     He    then    went 
again   to  Mr.   Wilson,   and  obtained   another 
recommendatory  letter,  with  which  he  repaired 
to  the  Itinerant  Society;  but  the   only  answer 
he  could  obtain  from  the  committee  was,  "that 
if  they  listened  to  his  application,  they  would 
have   as  many  Sabbath   schools  to   attend,  as 
there    were    chandlers'    shops    in    London." 
This  was  a  painful  answer,  and  filled  his  heart 
with  sorrow.     "Alas,  poor  Kent  street  !  "    he 
involuntarily  said  to  himself  as  he  retired;   "is 
there  none  to  take  thee   by  the   hand?"      He 
then  went  to  the  Rev.  Rowland  Hill;    but  he 
was  unable  to  obtain  gratuitous  teachers  for 
his  own  school  at  Surrey  Chapel.     A  few  days 
afterwards    he    waited     upon   the    Rev.    Mr. 
Knight;  but  not  one  in  his  congregation  had 
courage  sufficient  to  venture  down  the  street. 
As  a  last  resource,  he  went  to  his  old  and  tried 
friend,  Mr.  Burchett;    who  smiled  at  his  dis- 
comfiture, and  told  him  to   be   of  good  cheer, 
for  assistance  was  at  hand. 

It    happened   very    providentially   that    Mr. 
Burchett  had,  that  day,  attended  his  friend  Mr. 
8 


Ob  MEMOIR     OF 

Hugh  Beams,  of  the  Stock  Exchange,  to  Sur- 
rey Chapel,  where  Mr.  Hill  had  mentioned 
the  great  benefits  resulting  from  Sabbath 
school  instruction  in  Scotland;  and  prompted, 
perhaps,  by  the  entreaties  of  Mr.  Cranfield, 
had  made  a  most  urgent  and  powerful  appeal 
to  his  hearers,  to  come  forward  and  assist  in 
promoting  similar  objects  in  London.  Mr. 
Burchett,  on  returning  home  with  his  friend, 
consulted  with  him  on  the  manner  in  which 
they  might  best  engage  in  the  work  suggested 
by  Mr.  Hill.  This  subject  was  still  occupying 
their  attention,  when  Mr.  Cranfield  arrived  at 
his  friend's  house.  "Here,"  said  Mr.  Bur- 
chett, pointing  to  Mr.  Beams,  "is  a  man  ready 
to  assist  you;  and,  in  the  mean  time,  I  will 
undertake  to  discharge  the  next  quarter's  rent 
for  the  school." 

The  next  Sabbath,  Messrs.  Burchett  and 
Beams  attended  the  Kent  street  school,  where 
they  found  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  busily  engaged 
with  about  forty  children.  Mr.  Burchett  now 
inquired  whether  a  larger  number  could  not 
be  brought  together,  if  teachers  could  be  ob- 
tained; when  Mr.  C.  readily  engaged  to  collect 
as  many  children  as  the  other  could  supply 
with  teachers.  Both  parties,  therefore,  went 
to  work  with  spirit;   and  on  the  following  Sab- 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  87 

bath  two  more  teachers,  Messrs.  Sims  and 
Kirk,  joined  the  school.  The  former  gentle- 
man was  brought  from  Surrey  Chapel,  and  the 
latter  was  an  agent  of  the  Itinerant  Society, 
who,  having  witnessed  the  unsuccessful  appli- 
cation of  Mr.  C.  to  the  committee,  was  induced 
thus  to  come  to  his  assistance. 

As  "iron  sharpeneth  iron,  so  a  man  sharp- 
eneth  the  countenance  of  his  friend."  This 
truth  was  never  better  exemplified  than  in  the 
effect  which  this  accession  had  upon  the  mind 
of  Mr.  Cranfield.  Cheered  and  animated  by 
the  prospects  before  him,  he  proceeded  with 
redoubled  vigor  to  make  a  fresh  attack  upon 
this  strong  hold  of  Satan.  The  Rev.  G.  Col- 
lison,  having,  at  his  request,  drawn  up  an  ad- 
dress to  the  inhabitants  of  the  district,  Mr. 
Cranfield  printed  it,  and  circulated  it  through 
the  neighborhood. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  address,  accom- 
panied, as  it  was,  by  a  promise  of  hats  and 
bonnets  to  those  who  would  regularly  attend, 
had  its  desired  effect.  Numbers  of  children 
flocked  to  the  school,  so  that  the  room  was  too 
small  for  their  accommodation.  A  larger  one 
was.  therefore,  engaged  at  No.  c226,  in  the 
same  street.  And  now  Mr.  Cranfield  began 
to  be  concerned  about  the  performance  of  his 


88  MEMOIR     OF 

promise.  The  children  were  all  impatiently 
looking  forward  to  the  first  of  August,  at  which 
time  the  promise  was  to  be  fulfilled,  and  de- 
lighting themselves  with  the  pleasing  thought 
of  being  decked  in  their  new  attire.  To  disap- 
point them,  under  such  circumstances,  would 
be  cruel;  Mr.  C,  therefore,  strenuously  ex- 
erted himself  for  the  fulfilment  of  his  engage- 
ment; money  was  obtained;  a  quantity  of 
shambra  muslin  bought;  and  Mrs.  C,  though 
otherwise  much  engaged,  contrived,  by  the 
appointed  time,  to  make  the  requisite  number 
of  neat  cottage  bonnets. 

The  long-expected  day  having  arrived,  the 
door  was  besieged  with  children  long  before 
the  time  for  opening  it.  Their  faces  appeared 
unusually  clean,  and  their  countenances 
brightened  up  with  the  most  joyous  hopes  and 
anticipations.  The  new  hats  and  bonnets  were 
produced;  and  the  feeling  of  delight  which 
sparkled  in  every  eye  at  the  sight  of  them, 
could  only  be  equalled  by  the  chagrin  and 
vexation  of  those  whose  recent  entrance,  or 
irregular  attendance,  had  not  entitled  them  to 
such  a  reward. 

On  the  following  Sabbath,  when  the  children 
had  assembled  in  the  street,  for  the  purpose  of 
proceeding  to  their  accustomed  place  of  wor- 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  89 

ship,  nearly  the  whole  of  the  neighborhood  was 
out.  to  behold  the^pleasing  sight;  and  most  of 
the  spectators  had  something  to  say  respecting 
their  neat  and  orderly  appearance;  some  con- 
demned themselves  for  not  having  sent  their 
children  to  the  school,  and  all  seemed  persuad- 
ed that  the  alteration  in  the  appearance  of  the 
scholars  was  for  the  better;  and  if  they  were 
not  quite  convinced  of  the  blessings  of  educa- 
tion they  certainly  thought  it  an  advantage  for 
their  children  to  be  thus  decently  clad.  Mr. 
Cranfield  surveyed  the  whole  scene  with  unut- 
terable satisfaction,  and  the  delightful  feelings 
which  he  experienced  amply  repaid  him  for  all 
his  trouble. 

Before  taking  leave  of  this  department  of 
Mr.  Cranfield 's  labors,  it  will  be  proper  to 
notice  the  extraordinary  success  with  which 
his  exertions  at  the  school  were  attended. 

It  is,  perhaps,  not  sufficiently  considered  by 
teachers,  how  great  an  amount  of  good  may  be 
accomplished  among  persons  who  are  not  im- 
mediately connected  with  their  schools.  How 
often  have  children  carried  home  to  their 
neighbors  some  striking  fact  which  they  have 
heard,  or  witnessed,  in  the  school;  they  have 
thereby  had  their  curiosity  awakened,  and, 
being  induced  to  attend  the  school  themselves, 
8* 


90  MEMOIROF 

for  the  purpose  of  listening  to  these  pleasing 
details,  the  word  has  found  an  abiding  place  in 
their  hearts.  How  often,  while  the  children 
have  been  repeating  their  proofs,  catechisms, 
or  hymns,  to  their  parents,  have  the  arrows  of 
God  stuck  fast  in  their  souls,  leading  them  to 
cry,  "What  must  I  do  to  be  saved?"  And 
what  pleasing  instances  have  the  histories  of 
Sabbath  schools  furnished,  of  the  conversion 
of  sinners,  who,  attracted  to  the  place  by  the 
singing  of  the  children,  have  thus  been  brought 
under  the  sound  of  the  gospel.  A  circumstance 
of  the  latter  kind,  happened  a  few  months  after 
the  opening  of  the  school  in  Kent-street. 

The  landlady  of  the  house  where  the  school 
was  held,  being  interested  by  the  children's 
voices,  as  they  sang  the  praises  of  God,  was 
accustomed  to  sit  on  the  stairs  to  listen,  and 
there  to  remain  during  the  time  of  the  address. 
The  word  spoken  seemed  to  make  an  impres- 
sion on  her  mind:  she  soon  became  serious  in 
her  deportment,  and  soon  afterwards  being 
taken  ill,  she  sent  for  Mr.  Cranfield,  who  vis- 
ited her,  and  found  her  very  ignorant  of  God, 
and  the  way  of  salvation  by  Christ  Jesus.  But 
the  Lord  was  pleased  in  a  very  short  time  to 
convince  her  of  her  need  of  a  Saviour,  and  she 
was  led   to  cry  mightily  for  salvation.     Her 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  91 

prayers  were  not  in  vain.  The  Lord  manifested 
himself  to  her  as  he  does  not  unto  the  world, 
and  sent  peace  to  her  soul.  Mr.  Hartnell,  a 
student  of  Hoxton  Academy,  saw  and  con- 
versed with  her  before  she  died,  and  was  much 
edified  by  witnessing  her  faith  and  hope  in 
Christ.  "I  have  no  other  righteousness,  sir," 
she  said  to  him,  "to  recommend  me  to  the 
favor  of  God,  but  that  of  Jesus  Christ." 

A  few  days  after  this,  a  very  singular  and 
providential  circumstance  occurred.  Mr. 
Hartnell  was  one  afternoon  addressing  the 
children,  when  a  lodger,  occupying  the  second 
floor,  sat  himself  down  on  the  stairs,  opposite 
the  school-door.  Mr.  H.,  having  looked  at 
him  attentively,  thought  that  he  knew  him;  and 
after  the  service,  asked  him  if  he  did  not  come 
from  the  same  town  as  himself?  He  answered 
in  the  affirmative,  but  that,  being  involved  in 
debt,  he  sought  refuge  in  that  part  of  London, 
thinking  that  he  should  not  be  found  by  his 
creditors.  He  was  then  very  ill,  and  shortly 
afterward  was  confined  to  his  bed.  Mr.  C. 
and  Mr.  H.  both  visited  him  in  his  illness, 
and  their  exhortations  were  blessed  to  his  soul. 
He  soon  began  to  comprehend  the  plan  of  sal- 
vation, and  became  grieved  that  he  had  not 
before  sought  after  the  one  thing  needful.    His 


92  MEMOIR     OF 

weakness  increased  every  day,  and  as  he  ap- 
proached the  eternal  world,  his  meetness  for  a 
participation  in  the  joys  of  the  redeemed  before 
the  throne,  became  more  manifest.  He  lin- 
gered but  a  few  days,  and  then  quitted  his  frail 
tenement,  "to  be  clothed  upon  with  his  house 
which  is  from  heaven." 

The  case  of  Mr.  Archer,  one  of  the  parents, 
was  no  less  singular.  It  being  reported  by 
some  ill-disposed  persons,  that  the  children 
were  severely  beaten  at  the  chapel  for  not  sit- 
ting still,  he  went  to  Mr.  Knight's  meeting- 
house in  Collyer's  Rents,  in  a  wretchedly 
dirty  state,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  fact;  de- 
termined that,  if  Mr.  C.  should  strike  his  child, 
he  would  inflict  summary  vengeance  upon  him. 
He  staid  during  the  whole  of  the  service;  and 
seeing  that  the  children  were  not  corrected  in 
the  manner  reported,  he  went  peaceably  away. 
On  the  next  Sabbath,  however,  he  attended 
again  in  the  same  state,  and  with  a  similar 
design;  but  retired  as  before.  He  attended  on 
the  third  Sabbath;  when  the  Lord  was  pleased 
to  arrest  his  conscience,  and  give  him  to  see 
what  a  sinner  he  was.  After  this,  accompanied 
by  his  wife,  he  waited  upon  Mr.  Knight,  and 
opened  to  him  the  state  of  his  mind.  Mr.  K. 
received  him  with  that  affection  and  kindness 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  93 

which  ever  so  remarkably  distinguished  him, 
and;  directing  the  anxious  inquirer  to  Jesus, 
he  explained  to  him  the  way  of  God  more  per- 
fectly. He  regularly  attended  the  ministry  of 
Mr.  K.,  and  became  a  humble  follower  of 
Christ  till  his  death,  which  happened  several 
years  afterwards. 

The  account  of  Mary  Turner,  a  child  of 
eleven  years  of  age,  whom  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C. 
met  in  the  street,  and  invited  to  school,  is  truly 
pleasing  and  affecting.  She  was  attacked  by 
inflammation  in  the  bowels  about  three  weeks 
after  she,  with  the  other  children,  had  received 
her  new  bonnet.  An  interesting  account  of 
this  dear  child  was  written  by  Mr.  Cranfield, 
and  published  in  the  Evangelical  Magazine  for 
1779.     Mr.  C.  says— 

"On  the  Friday  night  following  the  first 
attack  of  her  disorder,  she  was  heard  to  pray 
earnestly  for  mercy.  Her  father  on  hearing 
her,  arose,  and  asked  her  what  she  meant,  or 
who  it  was  she  asked  to  forgive  her?  It  is 
God  I  ask  forgiveness  of,  replied  little  Mary. 
On  being  asked  if  she  thought  she  was  a  sin- 
ner; she  answered,  'Yes,  and  I  want  God  to 
forgive  me,  and  have  mercy  on  me.'  All  the 
next  day  she  continued  in  prayer  to  Jesus 
Christ  for  mercy.     After  praying  herself,  she 


94 


MEMOIR     OF 


requested  her  father,   also,  to  pray  with  her, 
and  soon  after  sung — 

'  How  glorious  is  our  heavenly  King 

Who  reigns  above  the  sky  5 
How  shall  a  child  presume  to  sing 

His  awful  majesty  ! ' 

"After  this,  she  testified  her  thankfulness 
to  the.  good  gentleman  and  lady,  as  she  ex- 
pressed it,  that  had  picked  her  up  in  the  street, 
and  brought  her  to  the  Sabbath  school.  Then 
turning  to  her  brothers  and  sisters,  she  said,  'I 
beseech  you  by  no  means  neglect  the  Sabbath 
school,  for  I  have  found  benefit  there,  and  so 
may  you.'  She  then  requested  her  father  to 
write  a  note  to  her  teacher,  and  to  let  him 
know  that  she  was  sick. 

"After  this,  she  cried,  'Father,  Father,  O 
I  want  you.'  Her  father  went  to  her,  and 
asked  what  she  wanted?  She  said,  'Not  you; 
I  want  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven.'  Again 
she  cried,  'Master,  Master,  oh,  I  want  you;' 
Her  father  asked,  'which  of  them?'  She  an- 
swered, 'You  cannot  take  me  to  him,  for  he  is 
in  heaven;  Jesus  is  my  master.' 

"Monday  26th,"  continues  Mr.  Cranfield, 
"I  visited  her,  and  asked  if  she  knew  me? 
With  a  smile,  she  answered,  'Yes,'  and  men- 
tioned my  name.     I  asked  what  she  thought  of 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  95 

Jesus  Christ  as  a  Saviour;  she  said,  'I  believe 
him  to  be  the  Saviour  of  sinners.'  And  have 
you  reason  to  believe  Jesus  died  for  you?  Af- 
ter a  pause,  she  said,  '  I  hope.'  I  then  began 
to  interrogate  her  respecting  her  hope,  but  her 
pains  returned  with  such  violence,  that  she 
cried  out,  'Dear  Lord  Jesus,  help  me.'  As  I 
was  speaking  to  her  mother  about  the  doctor, 
she  cried  out,  'O  my  heavenly  Doctor!'  I 
asked  who  she  meant;  she  answered,  'The 
Lord  Jesus.'  Some  time  after  she  had  been 
wrestling  with  God  in  prayer,  she  clasped  her 
hands  together,  saying,  'I  have  got  him,  I 
have  got  him;  O  precious  Christ!'  She  then 
sung — 

'When  I  can  read  my  title  clear 

To  mansions  in  the  skies, 
I  bid  farewell  to  every  fear 

And  wipe  my  weeping  eyes.' 

"Wednesday  28th,  she  was  taken  to  Guy's 
Hospital,  where  she  suffered  much  on  account 
of  the  behavior  of  the  women  in  the  ward  with 
her,  whom  she  reproved,  telling  them  that  if 
they  continued  in  that  state,  they  would  surely 
go  to  hell. 

"The  next  day  she  was  visited  again,  and 
exhorted  to  pray  to  Jesus;  she  answered,  'that 
she  did;'  but  on   account  of  the  women,  she 


96 


MEMOIR     OF 


said  very  little,  neither  could  the  visiters  speak 
to  her  so  freely  as  they  wished.  She  spoke  in 
a  very  low  tone  of  voice,  so  that  only  now  and 
then  a  word  could  be  heard,  such  as,  'Come, 
come,  come,  Lord  Jesus,  come.'  About  eleven 
o'clock  in  the  evening  she  said,  'O  Lord  Je- 
sus, make  my  bed,'  and  then  requested  her 
mother,  who  had  been  permitted  to  remain 
with  her,  to  turn  her,  and  immediately  fell 
asleep,  I  trust,  in  the  arms  of  Jesus.  Thus 
died  this  dear  child  in  the  eleventh  year  of  her 
age." 

She  was  interred  in  Collyer's  Rents'  burial- 
ground,  at  the  expense  of  the  teachers,  four 
boys  conveying  her  to  the  grave,  six  girls 
holding  up  the  pall,  followed  by  130  children. 
It  is  remarkable  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Knight,  in 
concluding  his  address  at  the  grave,  turned  to 
Mr.  Cranfield,  and  said,  "My  earnest  prayer 
to  God  for  you  is,  that,  as  he  has  in  a  remark- 
able manner  stirred  you  up  in  behalf  of  the 
rising  generation,  you  may  live  to  see  our  tem- 
ples crowded  with  children,  crying,  'Hosanna! 
Blessed  be  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord.' '  A  prayer  which  many  will  rejoice  to 
know  was  fulfilled. 

It  was  through  this  circumstance  that  Mr. 
Turner,  the  father  of  the  child,  was  brought 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  \)  I 

out  of  obscurity,  and  made  eminently  useful  in 
winning  souls  to  Christ.  He  had  been  a  re- 
spectable hair-dresser  in  Holborn;  where, 
having  been  called  to  a  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  he  refused  any  longer  to  transact  busi- 
ness on  the  Sabbath.  The  consequence  was 
a  total  loss  of  trade,  accompanied  by  the  great- 
est poverty  and  distress.  He  removed,  there- 
fore, to  Snow's  fields,  Southvvark,  in  order  to 
avoid  the  gaze  of  his  neighbors,  where,  on 
visiting  his  dying  child,  Mr.  C.  found  him. 
By  the  assistance  of  the  benevolent  Mr.  Bur- 
chett,  his  difficulties  were  removed,  and  he 
engaged  hand  and  heart  with  the  teachers  in 
the  work  of  Sabbath-school  instruction.  He 
died  most  happy  in  the  Lord,  in  Collyer's 
Rents,  at  the  house  to  which  the  school  was 
then  removed,  and  was  buried  near  his  dear 
child. 

About  this  time,  also,  a  sailor,  a  native  of 
America,  attracted  by  the  singing  of  the  chil- 
dren, stood  at  the  school-door  to  listen.  The 
hymn  they  were  singing,  was  the  following: — 

"  Soon  as  my  infant  lips  can  speak 

Their  feeble  prayer  to  thee, 
O  let  my  heart  thy  favors  seek ! 

Dear  Lord,  remember  me.'' 
9 


98  MEMOIR     OF 

The  last  line  forcibly  struck  the  mind  of  the 
weather-beaten  seaman;  the  words  followed 
him  wherever  he  went;  and  from  that  time  he 
regularly  attended  the  ministry  of  the   word. 

He  afterwards  joined  the  Rev.  Mr.  Towns- 
end's  church,  at  Rotherhite,  declaring  that  he 
received  his  first  religious  impressions  from 
the  singing  of  that  hymn  by  the  children  of 
the  Kent-street  school. 

Nor  ought  the  case  of  a  Mrs.  Sawyer  to  be 
silently  passed  over.  She  had  been  invited, 
with  the  rest  of  the  parents  to  partake  of  a 
twelfth-cake  procured  for  them  and  the  chil- 
dren by  the  teachers.  After  the  cake  had  been 
handed  round,  each  drew  a  ticket  with  a  pas- 
sage of  scripture  on  it.  And  at  the  close  of 
the  service,  Mr.  C.  gave  out  the  hymn — 

"  Guide  me,  O  thou  great  Jehovah  ! 

Pilgrim  through  this  barren  land ; 
I  am  weak,  but  thou  art  mighty — 

Hold  me  with  thy  powerful  hand. 
Bread  of  heaven, 

Feed  me  till  I  want  no  more." 

Finding  it  sweet  to  his  soul,  he  sang  the  last 
lines  three  times  over  with  great  animation 
and  fervor:  and  the  Spirit  of  God  accompanied 
them  with  power  to  the  mind  of  the  poor 
woman,  so  that  she  was  made  a  partaker  of 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  99 

that  bread  "of  which  if  a  man  eat,  he  shall 
live  for  ever."  She  lived  for  some  time  after- 
wards in  the  diligent  use  of  the  means  of 
grace,  and  on  her  death-bed  thanked  God  for 
the  institution  of  the  Sunday-school. 

The  last  interesting  circumstance  which  will 
be  noticed  in  the  present  chapter,  is  the  con- 
versation of  a  little  boy  only  eight  years  of  age. 
A  remark  of  Mr.  Kirk,  "Remember,  children, 
that  you  are  not  too  young  to  die,"  powerfully 
riveted  his  attention,  and  produced  in  him  a 
concern  for  the  salvation  of  his  soul.  On  the 
Wednesday  following,  he  was  taken  ill,  and 
requested  his  father  to  send  for  Messrs.  Kirk 
and  Cranfield:  but  he,  not  apprehending  that 
the  child  was  in  any  danger,  refused;  and  it 
was  not  till  the  child  was  heaving  his  last  sigh, 
that  the  teachers  were  enabled  to  see  him. 
The  father  then  told  them,  in  a  very  careless 
manner,  that  the  child  had  been  saying  that  he 
was  a  sinner,  and  had  been  crying  from  morn- 
ing till  night,  "Lord  Jesus,  have  mercy  on 
me."  To  his  mother  he  said,  "I  have  had  a 
view  of  that  glorious  place  to  which  my  brother 
is  gone:  O  how  I  wish  to  be  there  also!  Do 
not  cry  for  me,  mother;  I  am  going  to  heaven; 
I  shall  be  there  before  four  o'clock."  His 
prophecy  was  literally  fulfilled,  for  at  two,  his 


100  MEM  (MR     OF 

happy  spirit   took  its   flight  to  the  regions  of 
eternal  bliss. 

Thus,  the  Lord,  in  a  very  short  space  of 
time,  remarkably  blessed  the  labors  of  Mr. 
Cranfield  and  his  coadjutors,  to  the  conversion 
of  several  individuals;  for  besides  those  who 
have  been  mentioned,  there  are  now  living  a 
cloud  of  witnesses,  who  are  ready  to  testify 
that  the  Kent-street  school  was  not  established 
in  vain,  nor  were  the  labors  of  the  teachers  for 
nought. 

Previous,  however,  to  some  of  the  transac- 
tions which  have  been  detailed,  Mr.  Cranfield 
was  called  to  act  a  principal  part  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  another  school:  an  account  of 
which  is  recorded  in  the  following  chapter. 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  101 


CHAPTER  V. 

FROM  THE    OPENING  OF  THE  MINT  SCHOOL,  TO  THE 
DEATH  OF  MR.  NIXON. 

In  May,  1799,  Mr.  Burchett,  moved  by  the 
powerful  pleadings  of  the  Rev.  R.  Hill  on  be- 
half of  Sabbath-schools,  and  by  the  application 
of  Mr.  Cranfield  for  assistance,  convened  a 
meeting  of  his  friends  at  the  Hoxton  Academy 
Chapel,  with  the  view  of  raising  annual  sub- 
scriptions for  defraying  the  expenses  of  the 
Kent-street  school,  and  devising  means  for 
supplying  it  with  teachers.  At  this  meeting 
only  four  persons  attended;  namely,  Messrs. 
Burchett,  Beams,  Pound,  and  Cranfield.  The 
subscriptions  amounted  to  four  guineas,  and 
each  engaged  to  contribute  annually  the  sum 
he  had  then  subscribed.  After  some  consulta- 
tion, Mr.  Beams  proposed  that,  as  they  had 
now  more  money  than  would  be  sufficient  to 
meet  the  present  exigencies,  they  should  ex- 
tend their  operations,  and  open  another  school 
in  the  Mint,  a  district  near  Kent-street.  Mr. 
C.j  astonished  at  the  proposal,  asked  how  it 
was  possible  to  carry  on  a  second  school  while 
9* 


102  MEMOIR     OF 

their  means  were  scarcely  sufficient  to  supply 
the  demands  of  the  first;  when  Mr.  B.  sharply 
replied,  "Cranfield,  where  is  your  faith?" 
This  was  enough;  he  felt  ashamed  that  so 
young  a  convert  as  Mr.  Beams  should  display 
greater  faith  than  himself,  who  had  witnessed 
so  much  of  the  power  of  God,  in  compelling 
the  most  formidable  oppositions  to  make  way 
for  the  advancement  of  his  cause.  Instead, 
therefore,  of  any  longer  opposing  the  motion, 
he  seconded  it;  and  Messrs.  Beams  and  Cran- 
field were  appointed  to  select  a  room  in  the 
most  eligible  situation. 

The  two  friends  on  traversing  the  neighbor- 
hood, found  it  worse,  if  possible,  than  that  of 
Kent-street.  It  abounded  with  filth  and  ini- 
quity, was  inhabited  by  persons  of  the  worst 
description,  and  appeared  to  be  a  place  where 
the  prince  of  darkness  had  long  held  universal 
and  undisputed  sway.  Nothing  daunted,  how- 
ever, they  hired  a  room  in  the  very  heart  of 
Satan's  dominions,  at  £4  per  annum;  and  then 
personally  waited  on  the  inhabitants,  with  a 
request  that  they  would  send  their  children  for 
instruction.  The  place  selected,  was  in  that 
part  of  Queen-street  on  which  Willis's  factory 
now  stands,  where  the  school  was  opened  on 
the  Sabbath,  16th  of  June,  1799. 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  103 

On  that  morning  a  most  interesting  scene 
presented  itself.  The  place  was  thronged  with 
parents  anxious  to  get  tlieir  children  admitted, 
and  the  first  day  more  than  forty  were  entered. 
Messrs.  Cranrield,  Beams,  and  Wills  (a  fresh 
laborer)  were  here  actively  employed  all  that 
Sabbath;  while  Messrs.  Burchett  and  Kirk, 
with  some  other  friends,  took  care  of  Kent- 
street  school.  The  children  appeared  in  a 
most  wretched  condition,  few  of  them  wearing 
shoes,  and  scarcely  more  than  two  or  three 
having  covering  to  their  heads. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  this  work  was 
accomplished  without  strong  opposition.  Satan 
had  here  too  long  wielded  his  sceptre,  to  allow 
it  to  be  arrested  from  his  grasp  without  a 
struggle;  and  accordingly  the  teachers  were 
reviled,  insulted,  and  pelted  with  mud.  Stones 
were  sometimes  thrown  into  the  school,  the 
windows  broken,  and  all  sorts  of  disturbances 
created;  but  these  devoted  men  kept  the  even 
tenor  of  their  way — insults  and  annoyances 
only  serving  to  cement  their  union,  and  to 
increase  their  fervor  and  boldness  at  the  throne 
of  grace.  Having  put  their  hands  to  the  gos- 
pel-plough, they  never,  for  one  moment  looked 
back;  but  in  breaking  up  the  fallow-ground, 
they  advanced  with  an  energy  that  defied  every 


104  MEMOIR     OF 

opposition,  and  a  spirit  that  towered  far  above 
every  obstacle. 

In  the  latter  end  of  July,  1799,  a  proposition 
was  made  to  the  teachers,  by  Mr.  Wills,  to 
open  a  school  in  Gravel-lane,  situated  on  the 
north-west  border  of  the  Mint,  and,  at  that  time 
presenting  a  scene  of  wretchedness  which  al- 
most equalled  that  of  the  Mint.  The  proposi- 
tion was  acceded  to;  and  Mr.  Cranfield,  ac- 
companied by  Messrs.  Wills  and  Beams,  hired 
a  garret  at  No.  c20,  Old  Gravel-lane,  and  early 
in  the  following  month  the  same  was  opened 
for  a  school.  Here  Mr.  Sims  chiefly  labored 
on  the  Sabbath,  until  his  death,  assisted  by 
Messrs.  Payne,   Doxsey,   and  others. 

About  this  time,  also,  Mr.  Cranfield  assisted 
Mr.  Burchett  in  opening  a  school  in  Garden- 
row,  St.  George's-fields,  a  place  where  such 
scenes  of  iniquity  were  continually  witnessed, 
that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Berridge  used  to  term  it  the 
"Devil's  territory."  This  school  was  after- 
wards removed  to  a  room  near  the  King's 
Bench  Prison,  and  was  called  the  Debtors' 
school.  Here  Mr.  C.  labored  during  a  por- 
tion of  every  Sabbath.  Originally,  the  teach- 
ers were  not  confined  to  any  particular  school, 
but,  acting  together  as  one  body,  each  went 
where  his  services  were  most  required. 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  105 

O  how  delightful  was  the  union  that  existed 
among  these  devoted  servants  of  the  Lord. 
How  admirably  did  they  fulfil  the  divine  com- 
mand, "Be  kindly  affectioned  one  to  another, 
with  brotherly  love;  in  honor  preferring  one 
another!"  These  happy  times  were  seldom 
referred  to  by  Mr.  Cranfield,  in  his  latter  days 
without  tears,  accompanied  by  the  heart-in- 
spiring quotation  from  the  Psalmist,  "Behold 
how  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is  for  brethren 
to  dwell  together  in  unity." 

Soon  after  the  opening  of  the  school  in 
Gravel-lane,  a  meeting  was  held  for  prayer 
and  Christian  conversation  every  Monday  even- 
ing, to  which  the  neighbors  were  invited; 
and  at  these  meetings  much  good  was  effected. 
One  circumstance  ought  not  to  be  silently 
passed  over.  An  old  woman,  aged  seventy- 
five,  came  up  one  evening,  when  the  friends 
were  discoursing  upon  the  subject  of  the  cor- 
ruption of  human  nature.  This  proved  to  be 
one  of  the  times  of  the  Son  of  man:  the  conver- 
sation, accompanied  by  the  teaching  of  the  di- 
vine Spirit,  convinced  her  that  she  was  an  un- 
pardoned sinner.  During  the  week  she  was 
taken  ill,  and  one  of  the  teachers  was  sent  for. 
Mr.  Wills,  accordingly,  waited  on  her,  when 
she  addressed  him  thus: — 


106  MEMOIR     OF 

"Sir,  when  I  first  came  into  your  garret,  I 
heard  a  good  gentleman  speak  such  things  as 
I  never  heard  before,  although  I  have  been  at 
Christ  Church  many  times;  I  felt  as  if  I  was 
about  to  drop  into  hell,  my  knees  knocked 
together.  O  sir,  I  am  the  vilest  wretch  that 
ever  lived."  After  some  conversation  with 
her,  Mr.  Wills  left,  and  called  on  Mr.  Cran- 
field,  who  also  visited  her,  when  an  interesting 
conversation  ensued,  of  which  the  following 
may  be  given  as  a  brief  outline. 

"Well,  madam,  how  do  find  yourelf? 

Woman.     O,  very  low,  sir. 

Mr.  C.  Do  you  mean  concerning  your 
body  or  mind? 

W.  O,  my  mind,  sir!  I  am  a  sinner;  yes,  a 
great  sinner;  indeed,  I  am.  I  have  been  a 
sinner  for  these  seventy-five  years,  and  never 
feared  God  in  all  my  life. 

Mr.  C.     Can  you  read? 

W.  No,  sir,  I  wish  I  could.  When  I  was 
young,  there  were  no  schools  for  teaching  poor 
folks'  children,  as  there  are  now. 

Mr.  C.     My  good  woman 

W.  Dear  me,  sir,  don't  call  me  good;  I  am 
the  vilest  creature  that  ever  lived.  If  you  did 
but  know  what  I  feel,  you  would  have  no  good 
thoughts  of  me. 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  107 

Mr.  C.  Well,  then,  I  will  consider  you  to 
be  a  very  bad  woman — one  of  the  worst  of 
sinners — 

W.     That  you  may  very  safely  say,  sir. 

Mr.  C.  Well,  though  you  are  an  old  grey- 
headed sinner,  though  your  sin  be  as  scarlet, 
and  red  like  crimson,  the  Bible  tells  me  they 
shall  be  white  as  snow. 

W.  (interrupting) — But,  does  it  say  so  of 
old  sinners  such  as  I  am? 

Mr.  C.  God  has  no  respect  of  persons;  and 
all  the  promises  are  made  equally  to  the  old 
and  to  the  young.  Mr.  C.  then  mentioned 
several  examples  of  God's  mercy  to  aged  sin- 
ners, and  showed  her,  that  when  the  Spirit  of 
truth  comes  into  the  heart,  it  convinces  the 
sinner  of  sin.  He  then  proceeded  to  describe 
the  nature  of  sin,  and  to  show  how  it  corrupted 
all  the  powers  and  faculties  of  the  soul;  when 
the  poor  woman,  looking  at  him  with  surprise, 
said,  "Why,  sir,  who  told  you  this  of  me? 
Now,  I  will  tell  you  the  whole  truth.  You 
must  know  that  when  I  came  up  to  your  meet- 
ing, I  thought  I  was  as  good  as  any  of  you:  I 
went  to  Christ  Church  every  Sunday,  and  I 
thought  God  would  save  me  at  last.  I  was  not 
then  troubled  about  my  sins,  as  I  am  now. 
Well,  sir,  do  you  know  that  while  you  were 


1 08  MEMOIR     OF 

speaking  about  sin,  I  was  stabbed  to  the  heart: 
I  trembled  all  over.  O,  sir,  you  would  not 
believe  what  a  state  I  was  in.  I  was  afraid  to 
go  to  bed,  lest  I  should  wake  up  in  hell;  and  I 
have  been  unhappy  ever  since." 

After  directing  her  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who  alone  could  save  her,  Mr.  C.  departed, 
but  visited  her,  however,  several  times  after- 
wards; and  on  the  day  previous  to  her  death, 
she  said  to  him,  "Last  night  the  tempter  told 
me  that  God  would  have  nothing  to  do  with 
me,  and  that  it  was  too  late  to  think  of  calling 
upon  him.  'Well,'  said  I,  'if  I  am  cast  out, 
it  is  no  more  than  I  deserve;  but  still  I  will 
trust  in  the  Lord.'  Soon  after  this,  I  felt  great 
love  to  Christ,  and  recollected  his  words,  '  I 
give  eternal  life.'  Mr.  C.  then  asked  her  what 
were  her  views  of  Christ?  To  which  she  an- 
swered, "Why,  sir,  you  know  that  I  am  very 
ignorant;  but  I  will  tell  you,  as  well  as  I  can — 
I  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God, 
and  that  he  came  from  heaven  to  die  for  sinners 
such  as  I  am;  though  I  did  not  think  so  at  first, 
when  you  visited  me;  but  now  I  find  my  mind 
gives  way  in  love  to  him.  Yes,  I  do  love  him. 
O  dear  sir,  what  should  I  do  without  him?  He 
is  every  thing  to  me."    She  then  wept  bitterly; 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  109 

but,  after  a  pause,  she  continued:  "Blessed  be 
my  dear  Jesus  for  having  looked  on  such  a  vile 
sinner  as  I  am,  and  taken  my  cause  into  his 
own  hands.  And  does  he  say,  'Father,  I 
will  that  they  also  whom  Thou  hast  given  me, 
be  with  me  where  I  am?'  Then  come,  dear 
Lord  Jesus,  and  carry  me  home."  The  next 
day  she  died,  rejoicing  in  God  her  Saviour, 
and  triumphing  over  death,  through  the  blood 
of  the  cross. 

About  this  period,  Mr.  Cranfield  was  called 
to  assist  Mr.  Burchett  in  opening  a  school  in 
Rosemary-lane;  which  being  accomplished, 
and  placed  under  the  care  of  suitable  persons, 
Mr.  B.  directed  his  whole  attention  to  the 
schools  in  South wark,  where  scholars  were 
rapidly  increasing. 

In  March,  1800,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mosely,  from 
Scotland,  formerly  a  student  in  Hoxton  Acad- 
emy, visited  Mr.  C,  and  explained  to  him  the 
method  of  imparting  religious  instruction  on 
Sabbath  evenings  at  Glasgow.  The  plan  was 
as  follows: — 

Those  children  of  the  Bible  and  Testament 
classes,  who  were  more  than  eight  years  of 
age,  were  assembled  at  six  o'clock  on  Sabbath 
evening.  The  service  was  commenced  in  the 
usual  way,  with  singing,  reading  and  prayer. 
10 


110  MEMOIR      OF 

The  scholars  were  then  catechized  respecting 
their  knowledge  of  the  sermon  they  had  heard 
in  the  morning.  Each  child  then  repeated  the 
question  in  the  Assembly's  Catechism  appoint- 
ed for  the  evening's  subject,  with  proofs  from 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  when  a  series  of 
questions  were  put  for  further  elucidation  of 
the  subject.  A  short  and  animated  address 
was  then  given,  and  the  meeting  closed  with 
singing  and  prayer. 

Mr.  C.  perceiving  the  good  effects  that  were 
likely  to  result  from  the  adoption  of  such  a 
plan,  entered  into  it  with  his  usual  ardor  and 
alacrity,  though  it  was  attended  with  great 
sacrifice  of  time;  for,  independent  of  the  whole 
Sabbath  evening  being  occupied,  the  question 
and  the  answer  in  the  Assembly's  Catechism 
were  obliged  to  be  written  for  each  child,  there 
being  then  no  books  published  in  a  cheap  form 
for  the  young,  as  at  the  present  day.  He  saw 
that  this  would  be  an  admirable  method  of 
sending  the  gospel  home  to  the  parents  and 
neighbors;  that  the  children,  for  the  most  part, 
not  being  able  to  make  out  the  writing  them- 
selves, would  repair  to  those  who  could;  and 
thus,  those  who  never  came  out  to  hear  the 
word,  would  have  it  brought  home  to  their 
own  houses. 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  Ill 

He  was  not  deceived  in  his  expectations,  for 
a  remarkable  circumstance  of  this  kind  hap- 
pened soon  after  the  commencement  of  the 
evening  instruction.  A  little  girl,  named  Ven- 
ables,  took  home  a  paper  upon  the  subject  of 
regeneration,  and,  upon  repeating  the  passage 
in  John  hi,  "Ye  must  be  born  again,"  she 
asked  her  mother  what  it  meant?  This  ques- 
tion the  mother  could  not  answer;  but  it  fixed 
her  attention.  Wherever  she  went,  the  words, 
"Ye  must  be  born  again"  seemed  to  sound  in 
her  ears.  She  began  to  feel  that  something 
was  wanting  as  a  preparation  for  heaven,  and 
she  therefore  obtained  what  religious  books 
she  could  from  her  friends,  in  order,  as  she 
said,  that  she  might  be  enabled  to  make  her 
peace  with  God.  This  poor  woman  had  for  a 
long  time  been  in  a  declining  state  of  health; 
and  in  the  summer  of  1800,  being  much  worse, 
she  sent  for  Mr.  Cranfield  to  visit  her,  who, 
with  Messrs.  Wills  and  Nixon,  saw  her  fre- 
quently. Her  memoir  was  written  by  Mr. 
Nixon,  and  afterwards  published  in  the  Evan- 
gelical Magazine  for  1800.  Her  dying  testi- 
mony is  thus  related  by  Mr.  N. 

"About  six  weeks  before  she  died,  she  was 
greatly  recovered,  and  was  enabled  to  go  down 
stairs.     Mr.  Cranfield  called  upon  her  at  this 


112  MEMOIR      OF 

time,  and  was  surprised  to  see  her  so  much 
better.  'Ah,  friend,'  said  she,  'you  see  the 
Lord  has  brought  me  into  the  world  again.  I 
was  in  hopes  I  should  have  been  in  heaven 
before  now;  but  his  will  be  done.  I  hope  I 
shall  have  strength  to  stand  in  the  heat  of  the 
battle,  till  he  take  me  off  the  field.'  She  con- 
tinued down  stairs  for  near  a  month,  but  her 
disorder  returned  again  so  violently  and  sud- 
denly, that  it  was  with  difficulty  she  could  get 
up  again.  The  prospect  of  the  joys  of  heaven 
was  a  constant  feast  to  her  mind,  and  rendered 
her  extreme  sufferings  in  the  body  the  happiest 
portion  of  her  life.  She  frequently  repeated 
those  promises  which  spoke  of  the  Lord  as  a 
kind  Shepherd  to  his  people.  Her  thoughts 
dwelt  much  upon  the  sufferings  of  Christ;  and 
she  would  often  say,  'What  are  all  my  pains 
and  sufferings,  however  great,  when  compared 
with  those  of  my  dear  Lord.'  A  friend  asked 
her  if  she  was  not  afraid  of  the  pains  of  death? 
She  answered,  that  'death  was  a  welcome  mes- 
senger to  her;  she  longed  for  it  day  and  night.' 
Another  friend  said,  'I  think  you  are  much 
altered  for  the  worse.'  She  replied,  'I  think  I 
am  much  altered  for  the  better,  for  I  shall  soon 
be  gone.'  On  the  morning  of  the  day  she  died, 
the  sun  shone  very  beautifully,  and  she  desired 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  113 

the  window-shutter  to  be  opened,  and  said, 
'Soon  shall  I  behold  the  Sun  of  righteousness, 
whom  I  shall  see  for  myself,  and  not  another.' 
In  the  evening,  a  friend  came,  and  informed 
me  she  was  dying.  I  immediately  went  and 
asked  her  how  she  did:  'O,'  said  she,  'I  am 
very  weak,  but  I  am  waiting  for  my  blessed 
Redeemer!'  I  promised  to  be  with  her  again 
about  nine,  when  I  waited  upon  her  with 
Messrs.  W.  and  B.,  and  found  her  almost 
incapable  of  speaking.  She  was  asked  if  she 
could  bear  to  hear  me  pray?  She  said,  'I 
might  say  what  I  had  to  say  to  the  family,  and 
then  pray  that  she  might  have  a  speedy  disso- 
lution.' And  when  I  was  at  prayer,  the  pains 
of  death  came  upon  her:  her  lips  seemed  to 
move  much;  and  the  last  words  that  could  be 
distinctly  heard,  were,  'Lord  Jesus,  receive 
my  spirit;'  and  in  a  few  minutes  after,  her 
soul  took  its  flight  to  the  bosom  of  the  blessed 
Jesus,  whom  she  ardently  loved  and  longed 
for,  during  the  short  period  of  her  spiritual 
warfare." 

Soon  after  this,  Mr.  C.  was  requested  to  at- 
tend the  death-bed  of  a  little  boy,  named  Hop- 
per, who  was  affected  with  small-pox.      This 
child  had  attended  the  evening  instruction,  and 
10* 


114  MEMOIR      OF 

was  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth 
through  the  powerful  addresses  of  Mr.  C. 
The  sufferings  of  this  child  were  very  short,  so 
that  the  friends  had  but  little  opportunity  of 
seeing  him.  Much  of  his  time  was  occupied 
in  prayer,  and  he  died  while  engaged  in  that 
holy  exercise. 

Mr.  C.  having  now  witnessed  the  beneficial 
results  of  evening  instruction,  became  extreme- 
ly anxious  for  its  adoption  in  all  the  schools 
with  which  he  was  acquainted.  For  this  pur- 
pose he  wrote  letters  to  all  his  friends  engaged 
in  Sabbath  school  labors,  giving  them  a  des- 
cription of  the  plan,  and  offering  to  assist  them 
in  introducing  it.  The  following  is  the  copy  of 
a  letter  which  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Furze,  the  su- 
perintendent of  a  school  at  Croydon,  where  he 
had  promised  to  attend  for  this  purpose: — 

Hoxton,  Jan.  17,  1801. 

"Dear  Sir, — I  am  sorry  that  it  has  not  been 
in  my  power  to  pay  you  a  visit,  according  to 
my  promise.  On  the  Sabbath  following,  when 
I  got  up,  in  order  to  go  to  Croydon,  I  was 
taken  so  ill  as  to  be  obliged  to  go  to  bed  again. 
Last  Sabbath  I  was  at  the  Mint,  or  otherwise 
that  school  would  have  been  neglected;  and 
to-morrow  is  ordinance  day.    Though  I  cannot 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  115 

come,  my  prayers  are  not  wanting  on  your  be- 
half. I  am  present  with  you  in  spirit,  though 
absent  in  body.  The  first  opportunity  I  have, 
you  may  depend  upon  my  coming  down.  I 
wish  to  see  your  school  well  established;  but 
above  all,  to  hear  that  the  Lord,  by  the  power 
of  his  arm,  is  working  salvation  in  the  hearts  of 
the  children.  As  a  means,  let  me  humbly 
recommend  religious  instruction  in  the  evening. 
You  cannot  conceive  the  blessed  effects  which 
have  been  produced  by  the  adoption  of  this 
plan,  in  many  of  the  children  and  others.  A 
minister  told  me  that  he  knew  a  school  where, 
in  consequence  of  this  instruction,  there  was 
scarcely  a  child  that  was  not  converted.  May 
it  be  thus  at  Croydon;  I  have  sent  you  a  list  of 
subjects  for  the  first  quarter,  should  you  think 
proper  to  give  them  to  the  children  weekly. 

"O  that  you  and  I  may  lean  on  Jesus  for 
wisdom,  strength,  and  salvation,  not  only  for 
ourselves,  but  for  the  dear  children  also!  May 
we  never  be  tempted  to  trust  in  our  own  bow  or 
sword;  but.  like  one  of  old,  say,  'It  is  thou,  O 
Lord,  that  savest  us.'  Unless  the  Lord  be  with 
us.  all  will  be  in  vain.  O  that  I  could  be  con- 
vinced of  this  truth  more  and  more,  so  as  to 
look  only  to  Christ!  How  apt  are  we  to  trust 
in  means,    and   overlook  the  God    of  means. 


116  MEMOIR      OF 

Means  are  of  no  effect  without  the  power  of  God. 
They  are  but  as  the  axe,  a  dead  instrument  in 
the  hands  of  a  man.  Wherefore  it  is  said,  in 
Haggai,  'Ye  eat,  but  ye  have  not  enough;  ye 
drink,  but  ye  are  not  filled  with  drink;  ye  clothe 
you,  but  there  is  none  warm.'  There  is  a 
a  natural  aptitude  in  the  means  to  produce 
such  effects;  but  yet,  if  the  Lord  do  but  suspend 
his  influence,  they  can  do  nothing.  But  he 
can  work  without  means,  as  he  says,  'Not  by 
might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my  Spirit.'  If 
there  be  none  to  help,  yet  his  own  arm  shall 
bring  his  salvation.  And  the  Lord  doeth  this, 
first,  That  he  may  show  forth  some  special 
discoveries  of  his  power.  We  should  be  wholly 
taken  up  by  the  creature,  if  the  Lord  was  not 
pleased  to  show  forth  something  more  than  the 
creature's  power.  Second,  That  the  souls  of 
his  people  may  depend  upon  him  alone,  both  in 
the  want  and  enjoyment  of  his  creatures. 
Third,  It  is  to  have  our  eye  fixed  more  upon 
our  heavenly  home,  where  means  and  ordinan- 
ces will  be  done  away,  for  God  shall  be  all  in 
all;  that  is,  he  shall  be  all  unto  his  people  im- 
mediately. We  shall  then  be  at  the  fountain- 
head,  drinking  full  draughts  of  heavenly  bliss. 
O,  what  will  be  our  joy  when  our  eyes  are  open 
to  see  Jesus  in  his  glory ! 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  117 

"The  Lord  the  Spirit  prepare  us  for  the  sight, 
and  keep  us  looking  to  Jesus  by  faith,  until  we 
shall  see  him  as  he  is. 

"Yours,  to  serve  in  the  dear  Lord  Jesus, 
"Thomas  Cranfield." 

The  exertions  of  Mr  Cranfield  at  this  time 
in  the  cause  of  God,  were  almost  beyond  belief. 
The  children  were  brought  from  Kent  street 
school  to  the  Mint  every  Sabbath  evening;  and 
Messrs.  Turner,  Nixon,  and  Wills  conducted 
the  service  there,  while  Mr.  C.  was  employed 
at  other  places.  The  following  memoranda, 
in  his  own  hand-writing,  will  furnish  a  specimen 
of  his  extraordinary  labours. 

"January  25,  1801. — Set  out  for  Croydon,  to 
assist  in  imparting  religious  instruction  to  the 
Sabbath  school  instituted  in  that  place. 

February  1st. — Attended  the  Mint  school  in 
the  morning;  then  at  the  Debtors  school; 
opened  the  Mint  in  the  afternoon,  then  attended 
at  Kent  street;  and  in  the  evening  again  at  the 
Mint. 

"Sabbath,  July  8th.— Went  to  the  Mint  in 
the  morning;  took  the  children  to  chapel;  went 
at  eleven  o'clock  to  the  Debtors  school;  re- 
turned home  to  Hoxton  to  dinner.  In  the  after- 


118  MEMOIR      OF 

noon  and  evening  attended  again  at  the  Mint. 
Monday  evening,  visited  the  Mint;  gave  out  the 
subjects  to  the  children  on  slips  of  paper,  not  be- 
ing in  possession  of  catechisms.  Wednesday, 
attended  the  Gravel-lane  school.  Friday, 
again  at  the  Mint. 

"Sabbath,  15th.— Attended  at  the  Mint  and 
Debtors  schools  in  the  morning;  in  the  after- 
noon, opened  the  school  at  the  Mint;  then 
attended  at  Kent-street.  In  the  evening  went 
to  Croyden,  and  superintended  the  service 
there,  and  conducted  a  prayer-meeting  till  nine 
o'clock.  Monday,  returned  home  in  the  morn- 
ing in  time  for  business;  in  the  evening  attend- 
ed the  Mint  school,  and  visited  some  of  the  sick 
parents  and  neighbors. 

"Sabbath,  22d. — Attended,  morning  and 
afternoon,  at  the  Mint  and  Debtors  schools; 
evening,  at  the  school  in  Rosemary  lane. 

"March  1st.— Took  the  children  to  Mr. 
Knight's;  preached  at  the  Debtors  school; 
returned  to  Hoxton  to  dinner.  In  the  after- 
noon, again  at  the  Mint;  discoursed  in  the  even- 
ing at  Tottenham,  and  returned  home  to  Hox- 
ton." 

Astonishing  as  were  these  labors,  Mr.  C. 
nevertheless  felt  uneasy  that  he  was  not  able, 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  119 

on  account  of  the  distance  of  his  residence  to 
do  more.  After  much  conversation,  therefore, 
with  his  wife  upon  the  subject,  it  was  determined 
that  they  should  remove  to  Southwark,  within 
a  short  distance  of  the  sphere  of  their  labors. 
Accordingly,  in  the  summer  of  1801,  they  took 
up  their  abode  in  Bermondsey  street,  when 
fresh  plans  were  projected  for  more  extensive 
usefulness,  by  a  regular  visitation  of  the  pa- 
rents of  the  children  belonging  to  the  Mint  and 
Kent  street  schools. 

But  the  Lord,  in  his  wise  arrangements, 
thought  fit  for  a  season  to  frustrate  the  benev- 
olent intentions  of  his  servant,  by  laying  him 
upon  a  sick-bed.  Here  he  was  confined  for 
several  weeks  by  a  violent  attack  of  brain  fever, 
and  was  at  one  time  entirely  given  over  by  his 
physician.  His  afflicted  family  stood  weeping 
around  him,  expecting  every  moment  that  his 
soul  would  take  its  flight  to  the  unseen  world; 
but,  when  anxiety  was  at  its  climax,  he  sudden- 
ly opened  his  eyes,  and  calmly  asked  for  some 
refreshment.  It  was  evident  that  his  reason, 
which  had  been  long  suspended,  had  returned, 
and  hopes  were  again  entertained  of  his  final 
recovery.  Meetings  for  prayer,  during  this 
time,  were  frequently  held  by  his  friends  on  his 
behalf;  and  the  Lord  heard  and  answered  their 


120  MEMOIR      OF 

supplications,  by  enabling  him  again,  after  the 
lapse  of  three  months,  to  unite  with  them  in 
their  work  and  labor  of  love. 

This  temporary  suspension  of  the  labors  of 
Mr.  C.  did  not,  however,  impede  the  progress 
of  the  gospel  among  the  poor.  Another  appeal 
was  made  at  Surrey  Chapel;  in  answer  to 
which,  no  less  than  twenty-four  persons  came 
forward,  and  rallied  round  the  standard  which 
appeared  about  to  fall  from  the  grasp  of  its 
intrepid  and  valiant  leader.  Of  this  circum- 
stance, Mr.  Wills  informed  him  soon  after  the 
turn  of  his  disorder,  which  called  forth  from 
him  expressions  of  gratitude  and  praise  to  God, 
who  had  not  only  supported  him  and  his  family 
under  his  trials,  but  had  made  the  temporary 
loss  of  one  laborer  the  means  of  a  twenty-four- 
fold gain.  In  the  November  following,  a  son 
was  born  to  him,  whom  he  named  Ebenezer, 
saying,  "Hitherto  hath  the  Lord  helped  us." 

In  consequence  of  this  addition  of  laborers, 
Mr.  C.  had  now  more  time  for  carrying  into 
operation  a  plan  which  he  had  long  contem- 
plated, for  the  relief  of  working  men  in  times 
of  sickness  and  infirmity,  and  thus  save  them 
from  actual  want,  or  a  parish  poor-house.  In 
his  visitations  of  the  sick,  he  had  frequently 
seen  whole  families,  which  had  been  previously 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  121 

in  circumstances  of  comparative  respectability, 
suddenly  reduced  to  deep  poverty  and  distress, 
through  the  visitation  of  divine  Providence 
upon  their  master  and  head.  He  considered 
that  societies  might  be  formed  of  industrious 
mechanics,  who,  from  small  monthly  contribu- 
tions, might  afford  ample  relief  to  each  other 
in  cases  of  necessity.  Some  such  societies 
were  already  in  existence,  but  were  founded 
upon  so  precarious  a  basis,  that  they  furnished 
no  security  to  members  for  the  fulfilment  of 
their  engagements.  Correct  data  were,  how- 
ever,  wanted,  upon  which  to  construct  a  table 
of  contributions  and  benefits;  but,  as  this  could 
not  be  obtained,  he  calculated,  as  well  as  he 
could,  by  means  of  his  visits  to  the  poor,  the 
average  number  of  sick  mechanics  in  every 
hundred;  and  thus  was  enabled  to  ascertain, 
that  a  contribution  of  from  two  shillings  to  two 
shillings  and  sixpence  monthly,  would,  under 
certain  regulations,  afford  an  allowance  to  sick 
members  of  from  fifteen  shillings  to  one  pound 
per  week,  besides  a  liberal  allowance  for  their 
funeral,  in  case  of  their  decease. 

Having  submitted  his  plan  to  Mr.  Burchett, 
he    went  diligently   to   work,   and   established 
these  societies  in  Enfield,  Edmonton,  Totten- 
ham, Hornsey,  Brentford,  Walworth,  and  sev- 
11 


122  MEMOIR      OF 

eral  parts  of  London.  Many  of  these  societies 
are  still  in  a  flourishing  state,  and  some  were 
superintended  by  him  until  a  short  time  previ- 
ous to  his  death,  when  increasing  age  and 
infirmity  compelled  him  to  relinquish  the  office. 

But  the  welfare  of  the  souls  of  men  was  his 
principal  object;  for  them  he  labored  with  all 
the  energy  which  his  robust  constitution  was 
capable  of  sustaining.  He  was  in  the  Mint 
and  about  Kent  street  three  or  four  evenings 
in  the  week,  relieving  the  sick,  directing  the 
inquiring,  encouraging  the  wavering,  and  re- 
proving vice  and  immorality.  On  the  Sabbath 
he  would  sometimes  take  his  stand  in  Mint 
square,  near  to  the  school,  and  there  reprove 
the  vices  of  the  inhabitants,  and  entreat  them 
to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  by  laying  hold 
of  the  only  hope  set  before  them  in  the  gospel. 

At  this  time,  Mr.  C.  had  become  pretty  well 
known  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Mint,  and 
was  seldom  offered  any  personal  insult,  al- 
though twice  he  was  robbed  of  his  watch,  and 
has  lost  handkerchiefs  almost  without  number. 
Mrs.  C.  was  in  continual  alarm  for  his  safety, 
especially  in  the  winter  season,  and  used  often 
to  tell  him  that  she  expected  he  would  be 
brought  home,  some  night,  a  lifeless  corpse; 
but  he  would  smile  at  her  fears,  and  say  that 


THOMAS     CKANF1ELD.  123 

the  Lord  knew  full  well  how  to  protect  his 
servants  while  engaged  in  his  employment. 

The  whole  of  the  capabilities  of  Mr.  Cran- 
field,  both  of  body  and  mind,  appear  at  this 
time  to  have  been  exerted  in  promoting  the 
welfare  of  his  species.  No  season  found  him 
unemployed.  If  indisposition  confined  him  to 
the  limits  of  the  sick  chamber,  he  would  send 
for  some  of  the  Sabbath  school  children,  that 
he  might  there  unfold  to  them  the  mysteries  of 
redeeming  love,  and  set  them  portions  of  Scrip- 
ture to  learn,  for  their  edification  and  improve- 
ment. He  was  employed,  in  season  and  out 
of  season,  in  winning  souls  to  Christ,  and 
thought  no  personal  sacrifice  too  great  for  the 
attainment  of  this  one  grand  object. 

In  all  his  duties  and  engagements,  he  found 
in  his  wife  an  able  counsellor  and  a  steady  and 
devoted  assistant.  Her  amiable  temper  and 
sweet  disposition,  combined  with  her  sagacity, 
prudence  and  piety,  rendered  her  pre-eminent- 
ly successful  in  engaging  the  affections  of  the 
children,  while  imparting  to  them  the  know- 
ledge of  a  Saviour's  love.  In  the  winter  of 
1801  she  commenced  the  practice  of  having  a 
hot  joint  for  dinner  on  the  Sabbath,  not  so 
much  on  her  own  account,  or  that  of  the  fami- 
ly, as  that  she  might  thereby  be   enabled  to 


124  MEMOIR      OF 

afford  a  treat  to  some  of  the  children,  three  or 
four  of  whom  were  always  taken  home  with 
Mr.  C.  after  morning  worship.  The  children, 
whose  good  behaviour  entitled  them  to  this 
distinction,  were  informed  of  the  circumstance 
on  the  previous  Sabbath;  and  their  anxious 
looks  and  inquiries  to  ascertain  who  were  the 
fortunate  individuals  that  their  teacher  delight- 
ed thus  to  honor,  showed  that  they  held  this 
privilege  in  no  little  estimation.  Many  of  the 
children  have,  indeed,  declared  that  they  never 
knew  what  it  was  to  partake  of  a  joint  of  meat, 
except  on  these  happy  occasions. 

Such  opportunities  of  doing  good  to  her 
youthful  charge,  were  never  suffered  to  escape 
by  Mrs.  C.  unimproved.  Before  they  returned 
to  the  school  in  the  afternoon,  she  would  give 
them  most  excellent  advice  respecting  their 
conduct  in  the  world,  explain  to  them  the 
snares  and  temptations  which  they  would,  in 
all  probability,  be  called  to  pass  through,  and 
point  them  to  that  God  who  has  promised  to  be 
their  help  and  support  in  the  time  of  trial.  Nor 
did  she  stop  here.  Such  girls  as  had  distin- 
guished themselves  by  their  regular  attendance 
at  school,  and  attention  to  the  instruction  given, 
she  would,  at  a  suitable  age,  take  under  her 
roof,  to  be  instructed  in  household  work,  and 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  125 

then  endeavor  to  provide  them  with  situations 
in  respectable  families.  The  amount  of  good 
that  was  accomplished  in  this  way  is  incalcula- 
ble; nor  will  it  ever  be  fully  ascertained,  until 
that  day,  "when  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in 
his  glory,  with  his  angels,  and  reward  every 
man  according  to  his  deeds." 


11* 


126  MEMOIR      OF 


CHAPTER   VI. 

FROM  THE  DEATH  OF  MR.   CRANFI ELD'S  PARENTS  TO 
THE  DEATH  OF  HIS  YOUNGEST  SON. 

Shortly  after  the  death  of  his  co-laborer, 
Mr.  Nixon,  Mr.  Cranfield  was  summoned  to 
attend  the  dying  bed  of  his  venerable  father, 
afflicted  with  the  dropsy,  who  died  in  the  tri- 
umphs of  faith,  imploring  blessings  on  his  son, 
that  he  might  have  grace  to  follow  him  as  far 
as  he  had  followed  Christ. 

After  the  death  of  his  father,  Mr.  C.  resided 
at  his  house  in  Hightimber  street,  and  took 
care  of  his  mother,  whom  he  watched  over 
with  the  fondest  attention  and  solicitude  until 
her  death,  which  happened  shortly  afterwards, 
when  he  removed  to  Tooley  street. 

In  the  year  1806,  Mr.  Cranfield  revisited 
Tottenham,  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Burchett, 
to  ascertain  how  the  infant  cause  was  advanc- 
ing. Having  reported  to  Mr.  B.  that  it  was 
in  a  low  condition,  he  was  requested  by  that 
indefatigable  servant  of  Christ  to  open  a  school 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  farther  on,  which  he 
did,  and  having  attended  it  six  Sabbaths,  he  re- 
signed it  into  other  hands,  returning  to  his  old 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  127 

sphere  of  labor  in  Southwark.  This  produced 
a  spirit  of  revival  in  that  part,  so  that  the  ex- 
ample was  followed  by  other  Christians,  and 
schools  were  established  in  Edmonton,  Pond- 
er's  End,  Enfield,  Wynchmore  Hill,  South- 
irate,  Walthamstow,  and  Cheshunt. 

In  June,  1806,  Mr.  Cranfield  was  conversing 
with  Mr.  Charles  Doxsey  on  the  utility  of 
Sabbath  schools,  when  mention  was  made  of 
the  profanation  of  the  Sabbath,  which  was  con- 
stantly exhibited  on  Kennington  Common; 
and  it  was  thought  that  this  would  be  a  desira- 
ble spot  for  the  introduction  of  the  gospel,  by 
the  opening  of  a  school.  They,  therefore, 
took  an  early  opportunity  of  visiting  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  waited  on  the  Rev.  Mr.  Povah, 
minister  of  Kennington  Chapel,  who  received 
them  favorably,  gave  them  great  encourage- 
ment, and  kindly  granted  them  the  use  of  the 
vestry  until  they  could  procure  a  more  con- 
venient place  for  imparting  instruction. 

On  the  following  Sabbath  morning  they 
visited  the  inhabitants;  and,  after  much  exer- 
tion, succeeded  in  obtaining  eleven  scholars, 
whom  they  brought  with  them  to  the  school, 
and  received  the  promise  of  a  greater  number 
for  the  afternoon.  Before  two  o'clock,  there- 
fore, the  friends  were  again  at  their  post,  and 


128  MEMOIR      OF 

to  their  great  satisfaction  the  scholars  amount- 
ed to  fifty.  They  took  every  opportunity  of 
canvassing  the  neighborhood,  and  soon  had  so 
many  children  that  the  vestry  was  too  small 
for  their  accommodation.  They  again  applied 
to  the  Rev.  Mr.  P.,  and  he  allowed  them  the 
use  of  the  chapel,  and  assisted  them  as  often 
as  his  health  would  permit,  by  giving  addresses 
to  the  children.  They  received  also  the  valu- 
able aid  of  Messrs.  Beams  and  Burchett. 

After  some  time,  it  was  thought  advisable  to 
form  a  society  for  the  support  of  the  school, 
and  it  was,  therefore,  announced  from  the  pul- 
pit that  a  meeting  would  be  held  in  the  vestry 
on  the  following  Monday  evening,  at  seven 
o'clock,  for  this  purpose.  This  meeting  was 
attended  by  a  great  number  of  the  congrega- 
tion; a  committee  was  appointed,  and  the  sum 
of  fifteen  pounds  collected.  Mr.  C.  having 
now  accomplished  his  object  of  establishing  this 
school,  left  it  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr. 
Doxsey,  and  retired  again  to  his  old  sphere  of 
labor.  Occasionally,  however,  he  visited  the 
school,  and  was  rejoiced  to  find  the  work  of 
the  Lord  greatly  prospering  there. 

About  July,  1809,  a  room  was  taken  in 
Prince's  Buildings,  White  Hart  street,  Ken- 
nington  lane,  and  was  fitted  up  at   the   cost  of 


THOMAS      CRAN  FIELD.  129 

<£170,  on  which  occasion,  the  celebrated  Rev. 
Thomas  Spencer  (who  was  afterwards  drowned 
at  Liverpool)  preached  an  appropriate  sermon, 
from  the  text,  "What  think  ye  of  Christ?" 
The  labors  of  the  teachers  were  here  remark- 
ably blest,  to  the  conversion  of  many  children; 
a  number  of  whom  are  now  members  of  con- 
gregations, and  teachers  of  Sabbath  schools; 
and  a  few  are  eminent  and  devoted  ministers 
of  the  gospel.  In  1831  the  old  school  was 
pulled  down,  and  a  larger  one  built;  on  the 
opening  of  which,  the  Rev.  Rowland  Hill 
preached  to  a  crowded  congregation. 

Some  time  after  the  establishment  of  this 
school,  Mr.  Cranfield  was  greatly  encouraged 
by  meeting  a  young  female,  who  accosted  him 
in  the  street,  and  said,  "O  sir,  I  have  been  a 
very  great  sinner;  for  I  was  a  Sabbath  break- 
er, and  used  to  indulge  on  that  day  in  all  man- 
ner of  rioting  on  the  common,  till  your  school 
was  opened,  when  I  was  among  the  first  that 
attended;  and  I  can  truly  say,  that  the  in- 
struction I  there  received,  has,  by  the  blessing 
of  God,  been  the  means  of  saving  me  from 
ruin."  This  interview  was  exceedingly  grati- 
fying to  Mr.  C,  and  he  often  afterwards  spoke 
of  it  to  Mr.  Doxsey,  for  the  purpose  of  stimu- 
lating him  to  continued  exertions  for  the  en- 
largement of  Christ's  kingdom. 


130  MEMOIR      OF 

Nor  was  this  the  only  fruit  of  his  labors  in 
this  school  that  he  was  permitted  to  witness. 
In  the  year  1809,  when  a  general  jubilee  took 
place,  in  consequence  of  King  George  the 
Third  having  entered  the  fiftieth  year  of  his 
reign,  Mr.  Cranfield  being  at  Kennington  Sun- 
day school,  offered  a  reward  of  a  Bible  to  any 
boy  that  would  find  out  the  number  of  years 
each  of  the  kings  of  Judah  reigned,  and  repeat 
it  to  him  on  a  given  day.  This  was  done  by 
one  of  the  scholars  much,  to  his  satisfaction, 
and  the  Bible  was  presented  to  him.  Some 
years  passed  away,  the  circumstance  being 
forgotten  by  Mr.  C,  when  one  day,  visiting 
Prospect  place  school  (one  of  the  schools  con- 
nected with  Surrey  Chapel),  a  teacher  came  up 
to  him,  and  said,  "Mr.  Cranfield,  do  you  re- 
member giving  a  Bible  to  a  boy  at  the  Ken- 
nington Sabbath  school,  for  informing  you  the 
time  each  king  of  Judah  reigned?"  After 
some  consideration,  Mr.  C.  replied  that  he  did. 
"Well,  sir,"  said  the  teacher,  "I  am  the 
person,  and  I  have  the  Bible  now:  I  bless  God 
that  you  put  it  into  my  hands,  for  it  has  been 
the  means,  with  other  circumstances,  of  bring- 
ing me  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth."  Several 
of  the  inhabitants  have  likewise  expressed 
their    gratitude   to   the    teachers    for    having 


THOMAS      C  R  A  N  F  I  E  L  D  .  131 

opened  the  school  at  Kennington,  as  thereby 
a  vast  number  of  unruly  children  had  been 
drawn  off  from  the  common,  and  the  moral 
state  of  the  district  very  much  improved. 

Hitherto,  Mr.  Cranfield  had  continued  a 
superintendent  of  Kent  street  school,  although 
he  was  much  engaged  in  promoting  the  cause 
of  instruction  in  other  places;  but  he  now  re- 
signed that  office  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  West, 
who  still  continues  to  hold  the  same,  and  de- 
voted his  attention  chiefly  to  the  Mint  school, 
which  was  then  under  the  especial  direction  of 
Mr.  Burchett.  A  large  school  was  afterwards 
built  by  the  society  in  Kent  street,  the  founda- 
tion-stone of  which,  was  laid  by  the  Rev.  Row- 
land Hill,  and  at  the  death  of  Mr.  Cranfield, 
this  school  contained  upwards  of  500  children. 

In  1807,  Mr.  Burchett  having  removed  to 
Kentish  Town,  discontinued  his  labors  in  the 
Mint,  and  opened  another  school  near  his  new 
residence. 

Upon  accepting  the  resignation  of  Mr. 
Burchett,  the  teachers  unanimously  chose  Mr. 
Cranfield  for  their  superintendent.  Before  the 
close  of  the  year  1807,  being  anxious  to  ascer- 
tain what  advantages  had  resulted  from  the 
instruction  imparted  in  the  Mint  school,  Mr.  C. 
convened    a  meeting   of  the  old    scholars,  at 


132  MEMOIR      OF 

which  several  attended,  and  gave  evidence  of  a 
work  of  grace  having  commenced  in  their  souls. 
Some  of  Mr.  C.'s  friends,  however,  did  not 
approve  of  this  meeting;  and  he  was  compared 
to  a  child  who  had  dug  up  the  seed  newly 
sown,  to  ascertain  if  it  had  taken  root.  Noth- 
ing intimidated  by  this  sarcasm,  he  prevailed 
on  his  fellow-laborers  at  Gravel  lane  school, 
to  hold  a  similar  meeting  at  that  place;  and 
there  also,  it  was  perceived  that  the  Lord  had 
greatly  honored  his  servants,  and  had  made 
them  instrumental  in  the  conversion  of  many 
souls.  Speaking  of  this  meeting  some  time 
afterwards,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  he  says, 
"In  the  year  1807,  I  witnessed  a  sight  in 
Gravel  lane  school,  which  would  have  been  a 
treat  for  an  angel.  Brother  Sims  collected 
the  old  scholars,  and  I  counted  between  twenty 
and  thirty  souls,  who  ascribed  their  conversion 
to  the  instruction  they  had  received  principally 
from  him  and  Payne.  There  are,  at  this  very 
time,  some  of  the  old  scholars  teaching  in 
different  schools  at  the  west-end  of  the  town. 
Several  are  in  Mr.  Wesley's  connection,  in 
Southwark;  one  is  a  member  of  Surrey  Chap- 
el, and  another  is  preaching  the  gospel  in  the 
country."  Mr.  Cranfield,  therefore,  stands 
honored   of  God   as  the  first   projector  of  old 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  133 

scholars'  meetings,  which  have  been  the  means 
of  creating  so  many  revivals  in  Sabbath  schools, 
and  of  conferring  such  lasting  benefit  on  the 
church  and  on  the  world. 

On  the  16th  of  June,  1808,  being  the  anni- 
versary of  the  opening  of  the  school  in  the 
Mint,  he  held  his  second  meeting  of  old  schol- 
ars. The  proceedings  of  this  meeting  he 
detailed  in  a  letter  to  the  Committee  of  the 
Southwark  .Sabbath  School  Society:  and,  as  it 
will  serve  to  illustrate,  more  particularly,  the 
nature  of  these  meetings,  and  perhaps,  be  the 
means  of  their  introduction  to  other  schools, 
where  the  benefits  resulting  from  them  are  not 
as  yet  fully  appreciated,  the  letter  is  given  in 
full:— 

"Gentleme.v, — From  a  sense  of  respect  due 
to  you,  as  well  as  for  the  encouragement  of  the 
teachers,  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  informing 
you  of  the  second  meeting  of  old  scholars,  held 
at  the  Mint-school,  on  the  15th  of  June,  1808. 
A  few  days  previous  to  the  meeting,  a  circular 
letter  was  addressed  to  them,  requesting  their 
company  to  tea,  for  Christian  conversation. 
The  meeting  commenced  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  and  was  attended  by  a  considerable 
number  of  young  persons.  Some  were  mar- 
12 


134  MEMOIR      OF 

ried,  and  brought  their  children;  and  many 
were  present,  whom  we  should  most  likely 
have  never  seen  or  heard  of,  were  it  not  for  this 
meeting,  which  was  called  together  to  ascer- 
tain how  far  the  religious  instruction  imparted 
at  the  school  had  influenced  their  minds  and 
conduct  since  they  had  left.  The  joy  they 
seemed  to  experience  in  beholding  each  other 
again  in  the  flesh,  was  truly  gratifying.  After 
inquiring  after  each  other's  welfare,  and  a 
little  conversation  on  by-gone  days,  which 
occupied  the  time  till  four  o'clock,  tea  was 
introduced;  and  this  being  over,  the  service 
commenced  with  singing,  reading  and  prayer. 
I  then  gave  a  short  prefatory  address,  explain- 
ing the  object  of  the  meeting,  and  afterwards 
interrogated  them  individually.  'Elizabeth,' 
said  I,  to  the  first,  'what  effect  has  the  instruc- 
tion you  received  at  the  school  had  upon  your 
mind?'  After  a  short  pause,  she  answered,  'I 
was  recommended  by  one  of  the  teachers  to  a 
situation  as  a  nursery-maid;  and  it  has  been 
my  constant  practice,  at  all  seasonable  times, 
especially  on  the  Sabbath,  to  collect  the  chil- 
dren of  the  family,  and  catechize  them  after 
the  manner  of  the  school.'  This  statement 
was  subsequently  confirmed  by  her  mistress, 
who  considered  her  a  pious  character.     I  then 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  135 

addressed  her  by  way  of  encouragement,  and 
called  upon  another  in  a  similar  manner.  She, 
poor  creature,  burst  into  tears,  and,  with  a 
melting  heart,  spoke  of  the  repeated  opportu- 
nities she  had  been  favored  with,  but,  like 
many,  had  failed  to  improve  them.  The  con- 
cerns of  the  world,  and  its  deceptions,  had 
enticed  away  her  mind  from  the  best  things. 
She  attended,  with  her  husband,  on  the  means 
of  grace,  and  was  very  thankful  for  the  instruc- 
tion she  had  received;  for  she  could  not  tell  a 
letter  when  she  entered  the  school,  but  now 
could  both  read  and  write.  After  a  suitable 
exhortation  to  her,  I  called  upon  another. 
This  young  woman  had  passed  through  many 
trials,  and  had  had  three  children,  one  of  whom 
was  at  her  breast.  She  had  a  lively  sense  of 
the  evil  of  sin,  and  the  corruption  of  her  heart; 
she  knew  perfectly  the  way  of  salvation  by 
Christ;  but  seemed  to  possess  little  of  the 
comforts  of  it  in  her  soul.  She  said  that  her 
desire  was  to  love  the  Lord  with  all  her  heart, 
and  that  it  was  the  prevailing  wish  of  her  soul 
to  be  conformed  to  his  image.  She  attended 
the  preaching  at  Mr.  Knight's,  and  the  weekly 
prayer-meeting  in  Kent  street. 

"The  next  person  had  likewise  an  infant  in 
her  arms.     She  gave  a  very  pleasing  account  of 


136  MEMOIR      OF 

her  conversion  to  God  by  means  of  a  female 
teacher,  whose  practice  it  was,  when  her  class 
came  up  to  read,  to  speak  to  the  children 
about  the  Saviour. 

"The  fifth  was  a  decent  married  female,  and 
with  great  modesty  she  gave  us  an  account  of 
her  experience,  and  a  most  scriptural  and 
spiritual  one  it  was.  I  had  not  heard  so  grati- 
fying a  one  for  some  time.  The  work  was 
begun  when  at  school,  and  increased  by  her 
attendance  at  several  prayer-meetings  with 
other  pious  young  women.  She  gave  us  an 
account  of  a  number  of  passages  of  Scripture 
which  the  Lord  had  applied  to  her  mind  when 
under  conflicts  and  temptations,  and  closed 
with  an  expression  of  gratitude  for  the  instruc- 
tion she  had  received;  for  she,  likewise,  did 
not  know  a  letter  of  the  alphabet  when  she 
entered  the  school.  Were  I  to  give  you  a 
full  account  of  this  person,  which  time  will  not 
allow,  you  would  say,  'Is  not  this  a  brand 
plucked  from  the  burning?' 

"After  an  exhortation,  and  prayer  for  the 
infants,  I  was  about  to  call  on  the  next,  when 
there  appeared  such  a  manifestation  of  the 
presence,  majesty,  and  power  of  God,  as  I 
cannot  express  but  in  the  language  of  Jacob 
at   Bethel,   'How  dreadful  is  this  place!  it  is 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  137 

none  other  than  the  house  of  God,  and  the 
gate  of  heaven.'  It  was  almost  overpowering, 
and  appeared  evidently  to  be  felt  by  all.  The 
experience  of  the  last  person  was  the  means 
of  producing  conviction  in  another,  who  cried 
out,  with  agony  of  mind,  and  bitter  weeping, 
that  she  had  once  enjoyed  the  comforts  of 
religion,  and  had  been  enabled  to  say,  that  an 
hour  spent  in  the  service  of  the  Lord,  was 
better  than  a  thousand  spent  in  sin;  but  she 
had  backslidden  from  God,  and  had  given  up 
her  mind  to  things  which  did  not  profit.  'O,' 
said  she,  'what  would  I  give  if  my  experience 
was  like  that  of  my  school-fellows!'  She  then 
seized  me  by  the  hand,  and  said,  'O,  sir,  do, 
do,  pray  for  me.' 

"After  having  complied  with  her  request, 
and  her  excited  feelings  were  somewhat  al- 
layed, I  called  upon  the  next,  who  gave  us  a 
pleasing  account  of  her  change  of  heart, 
through  the  instruction  she  had  received  at 
the  school,  and  informed  us  that  she  had 
joined  the  church  under  Mr.  Knight. 

"I  then  called  upon  the  next,  who,  in  broken 

accents,  gave  us  an  interesting  account  of  her 

conversion,    through    the    instrumentality    of 

another  female  teacher.     It  is  sufficient  for  me 

12* 


138  MEMOIR      OF 

to  say,  that  she  is  a  member  of  Mr.   Dore's 
chapel,  Maze-pond. 

"Here,  sir,  I  lost  all  fortitude:  I  could  go 
on  no  further;  for  I  was  overcome  with  aston- 
ishment to  hear  these  young  persons  speaking 
of  the  wonderful  things  of  God.  And  such 
was  my  weakness,  that  I  cried  out,  'Lord,  I 
have  lived  long  enough:  now  let  thy  servant 
depart  in  peace,  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy 
salvation.'  I  then  called  on  brothers  Sims 
and  Wortham  to  go  on  with  the  service. 

''Brother  Wortham  stood  up,  and  said,  that 
he  had  often  been  discouraged,  insomuch  that 
he  thought  of  leaving  the  school;  but  now  he 
was  surrounded  with  encouragements,  and,  by 
the  strength  of  the  Lord,  he  would  persevere. 
He  then  gave  out  a  hymn,  and  addressed  them 
fromDeut.  8:  2,  3. 

"Such  another  day  I  never  expect  to  witness. 
I  have  here  given  you  but  a  very  faint  and 
brief  account  of  the  meeting;  my  time  and 
abilities  will  not  suffer  me  to  do  more.  There 
were  others  present  who,  I  have  every  reason 
to  believe,  were  subjects  of  Divine  grace. 
Upon  the  whole,  I  am  fully  satisfied  that  our 
labor  is  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord. 
"I  am,  dear  sir, 
"Your  most  obedient  servant, 

"Thomas  Cranfield." 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  139 

Such  was  the  delightful  evidence  which  the 
Lord  vouchsafed  to  the  truth  of  his  word: 
"He  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing 
precious  seed,  shall  doubtless  come  again  with 
rejoicing,  bringing  his  sheaves  with  him." 
And  when  it  is  considered  that  the  parents  of 
some  of  those,  in  whom  such  a  change  had 
taken  place,  were  thieves,  and  abandoned 
characters,  it  may  well  be  said,  "What  hath 
God  wrought!"  It  were  to  be  wished  that 
those  teachers  who  are  ready  to  abandon  the 
cause  in  despair,  in  consequence  of  the  appar- 
ent fruitlessness  of  their  labors,  saying,  "Who 
hath  believed  our  report,  and  to  whom  is  the 
arm  of  the  Lord  revealed?"  would  adopt  the 
plan  of  Mr.  C.  and  call  together  the  scholars 
who  have  passed  from  the  school;  and  it  is 
presumed  that,  like  him,  they  would  have 
abundant  reason  to  say,  that  "they  have  not 
labored  in  vain,  nor  spent  their  strength  for 
nought," 

At  this  meeting  of  old  scholars,  it  was  ascer- 
tained that  no  less  than  fourteen  of  those 
present  were  members  of  churches,  and  that 
there  was  scarcely  one  who  did  not  attend  a 
place  of  worship.  These  meetings  have  since 
been  held  annually,  and  none  have  passed 
without  fresh  specimens  having  been  produced 


140  MEMOIR      OF 

of  the  glorious  fruits  of  righteousness,  to  the 
praise,  and  honor,  and  glory  of  God,  from  the 
seed  scattered  in  this  unpromising  soil.* 

Mr.  C,  thus  encouraged,  went  forward 
with  fresh  vigor,  projected  new  plans  of  im- 
provement, stirred  up  his  friends  to  bring  more 
laborers  into  the  harvest,  and  employed  him- 
self, both  on  the  Sabbath  and  week-days,  in 
seeking  after  precious  souls,  for  the  purpose 
of  bringing  them  under  the  sound  of  the  gos- 
pel; and  in  these  attempts  he  was  generally 
useful  and  successful. 

One  Sabbath  afternoon,  he  went  out  upon 
his  errand  of  mercy,  accompanied  by  his 
daughter  (who  now  well  remembers  the  cir- 
cumstance), and  saw  a  number  of  children 
playing  upon  a  dust-heap,  in  a  most  deplorable 
condition;  some  were  nearly  naked,  and  others 
had  merely  dirty  sacking  to  cover  them.  Un- 
conscious, however,  of  their  own  degradation, 
they  were  dancing  merrily  upon  the  loathsome 
accumulation  of  rubbish,  when  Mr.  Cranfield 
went  up  to  them,  and  commenced  singing,  to 
a  sprightly  tune,  the  lines — 

"Idle  boys  and  girls  are  found, 
Playing  on  the  devil's  ground." 

*  These  meetings  are  now  held  annually,  in  all  the  schools 
of  the  Southwark  Society. 


THOMAS      CRAN  FIELD.  141 

The  children,  struck  with  astonishment,  ceased 
from  their  gambols;  and,  like  persons  in  ex- 
pectation of  some  fearful  visitation,  shrank 
back,  and  drew  near  to  each  other.  "My 
dear  children,"  said  he,  "do  you  know  you 
are  standing  on  the  devil's  ground?  Yes," 
he  continued,  as  they  cast  their  eyes  first  on 
the  ground,  and  then  on  him,  with  wonder 
and  surprise,  "this  is  the  devil's  ground;  but 
if  you  will  come  with  me  to  the  school  (point- 
ing to  the  back  of  it,  at  that  time  in  Peter 
street),  I  will  there  tell  you  about  God,  and 
teach  you  to  read  his  holy  word;  and,  if  you 
continue  there,  you  shall  have  some  nice 
clothes  to  put  on."  The  children  now  gath- 
ered around  him,  and  asked  him  many  ques- 
tions about  the  school;  which  he  answered  so 
pleasingly,  that  several  consented  to  accompa- 
ny him;  and  having  seated  them  in  a  class,  he 
commenced  the  work  of  instruction.  So 
wretched  was  their  appearance,  however,  that 
they  were  avoided  by  the  other  children  as 
infectious;  but,  being  pleased  upon  the  whole 
with  the  manner  in  which  they  had  been 
treated,  they  came  again.  Their  parents  were 
waited  upon,  who  promised  to  send  them 
regularly,  upon  which  they  were  furnished 
with   decent    clothing,   and    Mr.    C.    had   the 


142  MEMOIR      OF 

pleasure,  a  few  years  afterwards,  of  seeing 
some  of  them  occupying  respectable  stations 
in  life. 

One  of  these  lads,  thus  raised  from  the  very 
dunghill,  obtained  a  situation,  through  the 
influence  of  one  of  the  teachers,  in  a  shop, 
where,  however,  the  master  paid  but  little 
regard  to  truth;  and  on  one  occasion,  being 
desired  to  tell  a  customer,  who  had  called 
about  some  work  which  had  been  neglected, 
that  which  he  knew  to  be  a  falsehood,  he  per- 
emptorily refused,  saying,  that  his  teacher  had 
instructed  him  never  to  tell  a  lie.  He  was 
threatened  with  dismissal,  but  to  no  purpose; 
the  boy  continued  resolute,  and  the  master 
was  obliged  to  excuse  himself  to  his  customer 
as  well  as  he  was  able.  Notwithstanding  the 
vexation  of  the  master  at  this  refusal,  he  could 
not  but  secretly  admire  the  boy's  conduct,  and 
ever  afterwards  placed  such  reliance  on  his 
fidelity,  as  to  intrust  him  with  the  key  of  the 
till;  a  confidence  he  could  not  place  in  any 
member  of  his  own  family.  This  boy,  before 
he  left  the  school,  was  in  the  same  class  as 
the  writer  of  this  memoir,  and  the  last  time  he 
saw  him,  he  was  occupying  a  confidential 
situation  in  a  merchant's  counting-house. 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  143 

His  compassion  for  the  wants  of  poor  chil- 
dren was  such,  as  to  prompt  him  to  acts  which 
would  be  censured  by  those  who  did  not  expe- 
rience the  same  intense  anxiety  for  their 
welfare.  About  this  period,  being  exceedingly 
desirous  of  procuring  some  shoes  and  bonnets 
for  the  more  destitute  of  his  youthful  flock, 
and  being  unprovided  with  ready-money  suffi- 
cient for  the  purpose,  he  pledged  his  only 
remaining  article  of  plate,  in  order  to  obtain 
the  necessary  supply.  Frequently  his  little 
daughters  have  gone  home  crying  to  their 
mother,  in  consequence  of  having  met  a  child 
in  the  street  with  either  a  frock  or  a  bonnet, 
of  theirs,  which  they  had  saved  up  their  own 
money  to  purchase.  "Never  mind,"  Mrs.  C. 
would  say  to  them  when  she  witnessed  their 
distress,  "I  will  buy  you  a  better  one;"  and 
she  was  always  as  good  as  her  word.  At  one 
time,  when  his  family  were  going  into  mourn- 
ing, he  gave  away  the  whole  of  their  colored 
clothes,  rather  than  they  should  lie  disused 
while  so  many  children  were  destitute.  It  is 
not  to  be  wondered  at,  therefore,  that  children 
flocked  to  the  school  in  great  numbers,  and 
that,  though  possessing  a  respectable  income, 
he  had  but  little  surplus  to  lay  by  for  any 
emergency. 


144  MEMOIR     OF 

Mr.  C.  had  for  some  years  been  sailing 
smoothly  along  the  stream  of  life,  with  both 
wind  and  tide  in  his  favor;  but  now  he  was 
called  upon  to  navigate  in  deeper  waters  of 
distress  than  any  in  which  his  weather-beaten 
bark  had  heretofore  been  launched.  His  de- 
voted and  amiable  wife,  his  cheerful  assistant 
in  all  his  works  of  charity  and  usefulness,  was 
now  to  be  taken  from  him;  and  while  yet  in 
the  meridian  of  life,  her  sun  was  to  set  in  our 
hemisphere,  casting  a  gloom  over  every  heart 
that  had  been  warmed  and  cheered  by  her 
pious  conversation  and  example. 

Mrs.  C.  had  enjoyed  but  indifferent  health 
for  some  months,  when  in  November,  1808, 
she  was  confined  with  a  still-born  infant,  and 
five  days  afterwards  she  was  released  from 
sickness,  sorrow  and  sin,  and  her  spirit  was 
admitted  into  the  unclouded  presence  of  her 
Saviour,  whom  she  loved  and  trusted,  and 
whose  service  had  long  been  her  delight.  A 
brief  sketch  of  her  life  and  character  was 
given  by  her  bereaved  husband  to  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Humphries  of  Union  street  Chapel,  who 
preached  her  funeral  sermon.  The  following 
extract  from  the  memoir  will,  perhaps,  prove 
interesting  to  the  reader. 


THOMAS     CRANF1ELD.  145 

"When  attending  on  the  word,  she  was  in 
general  enabled  to  feed  on  it  with  joy  and 
profit.  Her  confidence  in  God,  as  her  Saviour, 
was  increased  by  the  exercise  of  faith  on  his 
promises;  frequently  she  would  repeat  those 
words,  trembling  all  the  while  lest  she  should 
deceive  herself: — 

'Jesus,  thy  blood  and  righteousness 
My  beauty  are,  my  glorious  dress/  &c. 

She  had  been  taught  to  live  on  Jesus  as  a  God 
of  providence,  and  to  trust  him  in  the  view  and 
experience  of  the  deprivation  of  every  earthly 
comfort,  and  to  the  last  day  of  her  life,  she 
was  accustomed  to  say,  'It  shall  be  well.'  I 
am  a  witness  for  her  that  in  this  glorious  work 
of  living  by  faith,  she  outstripped  me,  and 
frequently  reproved  me  for  my  unbelief.  Her 
faith  always  led  her  to  the  same  object;  and 
the  more  she  received,  the  bolder  and  more 
confident  she  grew.  'Not  one  good  thing,5 
she  would  often  say,  'has  failed  of  what  the 
Lord  hath  spoken.'  O,  how  often,  when  God 
has  gladdened  our  hearts  by  his  kindness,  has 
she  said  to  me,  'Come,  magnify  the  Lord  with 
me,  and  let  us  exalt  his  name  together.'  How 
sweet  is  the  memory  of  those  days! 
13 


146  MEMOIR     OF 

"Her  kindness  to  her  poor  neighbors,  as  well 
as  to  the  children  of  the  Sabbath  schools  and 
their  parents,  was  exemplary.  She  was  not 
only  an  excellent  pattern  of  domestic  kindness, 
but  an  example  of  charity  and  benevolence. 
The  instruction  of  the  rising  generation  pecu- 
liarly engaged  her  attention.  Often  has  she 
accompanied  me  to  the  schools  at  Tottenham, 
Rotherhithe,  Kent  street,  and  the  Mint,  with 
an  infant  in  her  arms,  when  we  lived  at  Hox- 
ton;  at  other  times,  when  half-hearted  profes- 
sors would  say  to  her,  '  I  am  surprised  that 
your  husband  should  neglect  you  and  the  fami- 
ly on  the  Sabbath,  to  attend  the  schools,'  she 
would  reply,  'He  is  doing  the  Lord's  work, 
and  I  am  content  to  stay  by  the  stuff.'  Never, 
no,  never,  have  I  heard  her  utter  a  single  word 
that  would  convey  an  idea  that  she  wished  my 
zeal  in  this  glorious  employ  to  be  in  the  least 
abated. 

"O,  when  or  where  did  a  distressed  case  of 
any  of  the  children's  parents  arise,  that  she 
did  not,  either  by  herself,  or  through  some 
other  person,  visit  and  relieve?  With  what 
pleasure  did  she  entertain  the  children,  in  their 
turn  on  the  Sabbath,  at  the  family  table,  and 
how  would  she  exhort  her  own  children  to  be 
grateful  to  that   God  who   had   provided   for 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  147 

them,  while  many  of  the  dear  lambs  at  the 
school  had  scarcely  any  food  to  eat!  Let  the 
children  of  Kent  street  and  the  Mint  witness, 
how  many  of  those  wretched  objects  she  has 
taken  home,  cleansed  from  their  filth,  clothed 
in  decent  apparel,  recommended  to  situations, 
and  rendered  them  useful  and  honorable  mem- 
bers of  society.  Many  times  has  the  last 
shilling  in  the  house  been  laid  out  for  God's 
poor,  trusting  in  him  alone  for  a  supply. 

"As  soon  as  the  doctors  had  left  her  room, 
I  approached  the  bedside,  when  she  took  me 
affectionately  by  the  hand,  and  said,  '  I  bless 
God  for  this  bed;  I  am  an  unworthy  creature, 
and  I  look  not  for  any  temporal  deliverance, 
for  by  sin  I  have  forfeited  all.'  Her  strength 
being  exhausted,  I  begged  her  to  say  no  more; 
and  took  occasion,  the  next  day,  when  she 
was  somewhat  better,  to  ask  her  how  she  felt 
in  her  mind?  She  replied,  that  it  was  difficult 
for  her  to  tell,  for  she  was  neither  joyous  nor 
distressed,  yet  she  could  say  she  had  no  other 
refuge  but  Christ.  On  Thursday  she  requested 
to  see  brother  Sims.  When  he  came,  she 
said  to  him,  '  I  hope  you  will  be  a  physician  of 
value  to  my  soul.'  He  replied,  'I  am  nothing 
without  God.'  'Yes,'  she  said,  'I  know  it; 
but  God  does  speak  to  his  people  through  the 


148  MEMOIR     OF 

instrumentality  of  others.'  He  then  spoke  to 
her  of  the  promises  of  God;  when  she  added, 
*  I  know  it  is  true,  but  I  want  to  feel;  I  know 
God  is  faithful,  but,  after  all,  I  find  it  more 
easy  to  trust  him  for  a  crust,  than  with  the 
salvation  of  my  soul.'  At  another  time  she 
said,  '  I  have  no  other  refuge,  no  other  foun- 
dation, but  Christ;  I  would  not  give  up  my 
hope,  O  no!  for  a  thousand  worlds.'  In  the 
evening  she  told  one  of  her  children  to  go 
down  to  her  father,  and  kiss  him  for  her,  and 
tell  him  that  these  words  came  home  with 
power  and  comfort  to  her  mind: — 

'All  that  his  heavenly  Father  gives 
His  hand  securely  keeps/ 

"On  Friday  morning,  she  said  to  me,  'My 
dear,  let  me  have  drink  from  your  hands?'  I 
then  lifted  up  her  head,  and  gave  it  to  her. 
'You  have  a  great  trial,'  she  continued;  'but 
I  hope  God  will  support  you  under  it;'  and 
then  prayed  that  the  Lord  would  graciously 
help  and  guide  me.  After  remaining  a  few 
minutes  silent,  she  broke  out  with  these  words: 

'Rise,  my  sou],  and  stretch  thy  wings! 

Thy  better  portion  trace ; 
Fuse  from  transitory  things, 

Towards  heaven,  thy  native  place. 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  149 

'  Sun,  and  moon,  and  stars  decay, 

Time  shall  soon  this  earth  remove ; 
Rise,  my  soul,  and  haste  away 
To  seats  prepared  above.' 

"  She  said  but  little  after  this.  On  Saturday 
morning  her  immortal  part  escaped  from  its 
prison,  and  took  its  flight,  to  mingle  with  kin- 
dred spirits  in  the  bright  realms  of  eternal  day." 

Her  remains  were  interred  in  Unicorn- Yard 
burial-ground,  Tooley  street,  and  a  vast  num- 
ber of  the  poor,  whose  temporal  and  spiritual 
interests  she  had  endeavored  to  promote  while 
living,  followed  her  to  her  silent  abode. 

During  the  latter  part  of  her  life,  Mrs.  C. 
had  paid  particular  attention  to  those  poor 
unfortunate  outcasts  of  society  who  infest  the 
streets  of  the  metropolis.  These  she  was  in 
the  habit  of  bringing  into  her  house,  giving 
them  articles  of  clothing,  and  exhorting  them, 
with  entreaties  and  tears,  to  abandon  their 
vicious  and  immoral  practices,  and  to  enter 
the  more  delightful  paths  of  piety,  virtue  and 
peace ;  and  though  she  did  not  succeed  in  the 
accomplishment  of  her  object,  to  the  extent  of 
her  wishes,  yet  she  had  the  satisfaction  of 
knowing,  that  in  more  than  one  instance  her 
endeavors  were  crowned  with  success;  and 
the  gratitude  and  respect  which  were  evinced 
13* 


150  MEMOIR     OF 

at  her  funeral,  by  a  multitude  of  those  unhappy 
females,  proved  more  grateful  to  the  feelings 
of  the  bereaved  and  afflicted  husband,  than  the 
highest  encomiums  upon  her  life  and  character. 

While  the  lifeless  remains  of  the  dear  partner 
of  his  days  continued  in  the  house,  Mr.  C. 
was  somewhat  composed.  It  is  true,  that  he 
wept;  but  there  was  a  calmness  in  his  grief, 
and  a  dignity  in  his  composure,  which  proved 
that  his  mind  was  under  the  special  control 
and  influence  of  his  faith  in  the  promises  of 
the  gospel;  but  when  the  hour  was  come  that 
he  was  to  deposit  the  desire  of  his  eyes  in  the 
cold  and  silent  tomb,  he  became  convulsed 
with  grief,  and  his  silent  sorrow  was  exchanged 
for  bitter  lamentations.  His  friends  strove  to 
console  him,  but  in  vain;  he  refused  to  be 
comforted,  and  said,  "  I  will  go  down  into  the 
grave  unto  my  wife  mourning." 

This  overwhelming  calamity  was  but  the 
forerunner  of  others,  if  not  equally  distressing, 
yet,  coming  as  they  did,  pressing  one  upon  the 
heels  of  another,  proved  so  severe  as  to  shake 
his  reason  almost  to  the  very  foundation.  He 
had  scarcely  returned  from  the  grave  of  his 
wife,  when  he  was  informed  that  a  Christian 
friend,  for  whom  he  had  made  himself  respon- 
sible to  a  considerable  amount,  was  unable  to 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  151 

meet  his  engagements.  On  a  sheet  of  paper, 
containing  the  registry  of  the  births  and  deaths 
of  his  family,  he  makes  this  remark: — 

"The  thirteenth  child  died  in  the  birth,  and 
was  buried  with  his  mother. 

"November  19th,  1808.— Here  I  stand, 
bereft  of  a  pious,  loving  wife,  the  excellency 
of  all  that  was  lovely,  with  six  children;  also  a 
returned  accommodation-bill,  which  I  endorsed 
for  a  friend,  for  £100,  expecting  to  be  arrested 
every  moment;  in  a  state  of  distress  unknown 
to  any  one  but  to  God;  with  a  heart  as  insen- 
sible as  steel, — no  spirit  to  pray,  and  fretting 
against  the  providence  of  the  Almighty.3' 

After  this  distressing  bereavement,  he  would 
not  allow  the  window-shutters  to  be  opened. 
He  could  not  settle  down  to  business.  The 
sight  of  his  work-room  served  only  to  remind 
him  of  her  who  was  his  discreet  counsellor 
his  improving  example,  and  the  guardian  of 
his  interests  and  happiness.  He,  therefore, 
soon  after  quitted  his  house,  and  took  up  his 
abode  again  in  Bermondsey  street.  His  mind, 
however,  still  continued  in  a  fearful  state  of 
agitation;  and  all  his  actions,  for  several 
months,  showed  that  he  was  not  in  a  condition 
to  manage  his  own  affairs.  Nearly  the  whole 
stock  of  his  children's  apparel  was  given  away 


152  MEMOIR     OF 

with  the  greatest  indiscretion;  and,  having  no 
person  to  guide  or  restrain  him,  he  became 
the  dupe  of  the  wary  and  designing. 

But  the  storm  had  no  sooner  began  to  sub- 
side, than  another  seemed  ready  to  burst  upon 
his  head.  Shortly  after  the  death  of  his  wife, 
he  received  a  letter  from  the  schoolmaster, 
under  whose  tuition  his  son  (the  writer  of  this 
memoir)  was  placed,  residing  near  Dunstable, 
informing  him  that,  in  consequence  of  an 
accident,  it  was  rendered  necessary  that  the 
hand  of  the  child  should  be  amputated.  Im- 
mediately on  receipt  of  this  letter,  he  put  on 
his  hat,  and,  with  feelings  which  it  is  impossible 
to  describe,  hurried  on  foot  to  his  suffering 
child,  and,  though  a  distance  of  upwards  of 
thirty  miles,  he  arrived  at  the  school-house  in 
the  afternoon.  Here,  however,  the  Lord  was 
better  to  him  than  his  fears.  His  son,  being 
brought  to  London,  and  placed  under  the  care 
of  Sir  A.  Cooper,  was,  after  a  considerable 
time,  restored  with  the  loss  of  only  part  of  a 
finger. 

In  1810,  most  of  his  children  being  very 
young,  and  his  business  calling  him  much 
away  from  home  (being  now  employed,  almost 
entirely,  in  conducting  benefit  societies),  he 
was  strongly  urged  by  his  friends  to  marry. 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  153 

With  this  advice  he  thought  proper  to  comply, 
and  was  united  to  a  respectable  widow,  who 
made  it  her  chief  study  to  render  her  home 
comfortable,  and  her  husband  happy. 

About  a  month  after  this  union,  Mr.  C.  was 
called  to  witness  the  death  of  his  youngest  son, 
then  in  the  fifth  year  of  his  age.  This  was  a 
child  of  great  promise,  and  his  fond  father 
looked  forward  to  his  entrance  on  the  stage  of 
public  life  with  the  most  enthusiastic  expecta- 
tions. But,  while  gazing  on  the  beauteous 
prospect  which  his  fancy  had  sketched,  and 
anticipating  the  period  when  the  visions  of  the 
imagination  should  be  turned  into  visible  reali- 
ties, suddenly  a  cloud  overcast  the  radiant  sky 
— the  desolating  storm  arose — and,  in  a  mo- 
ment, beat  down,  and  destroyed  the  fond  object 
of  his  attachment.  His  repeated  trials  awak- 
ened general  sympathy,  and  many  came  to 
condole  with  him,  among  the  foremost  of  whom 
was  his  old  and  tried  friend  Mr.  Burchett. 

All  the  Lord's  people  are  not  permitted  to 
be  tossed  about  in  such  a  whirlpool  of  affliction, 
but  many  are;  and  it  is  frequently  the  lot  of 
those  whom  he  designs  to  honor  with  eminent 
usefulness.  It  is  in  this  school  of  affliction 
that  they  acquire  the  tongue  of  the  learned, 
and  an  ability  to  speak  a  word  in  season.     In- 


154  MEMOIR     OF 

structed  by  what  they  themselves  have  passed 
through,  they  are  taught  to  sympathize  with 
their  fellow-sufferers,  and  to  "  weep  with  those 
that  weep."  And  when  they  have  been 
"brought  from  the  horrible  pit,  and  the  miry 
clay,  and  their  feet  set  on  a  rock, "the  remem- 
brance of  their  past  conflicts  is  sanctified,  to 
keep  them  humble,  watchful,  and  dependent  in 
their  future  course. 

"  The  path  of  sorrow,  and  that  path  alone, 
Leads  to  the  land  where  sorrow  is  unknown  : 
]No  traveller  e'er  reached  that  blest  abode, 
Who  found  not  thorns  and  briers  in  the  road. 
The  world  may  dance  along  the  flowery  plain, 
Cheered  as  they  go  by  many  a  sprightly  strain, 
Where  nature  has  her  mossy  velvet  spread, 
With  unshod  feet  they  yet  securely  tread  ; 
Admonished,  scorn  the  caution  and  the  friend, 
Bent  upon  pleasure,  heedless  of  its  end. 
But  He  who  knew  what  human  hearts  would  prove, 
How  slow  to  learn  the  dictates  of  his  love; 
That,  hard  by  nature,  and  of  stubborn  will, 
A  life  of  ease  would  make  them  harder  still  j 
In  pity  to  the  sinners  he  designed 
To  rescue  from  the  ruins  of  mankind, 
Called  for  a  cloud  to  darken  all  their  years, 
And  said, '  Go,  spend  them  in  the  vale  of  tears.' " 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  155 


CHAPTER  VII. 

FROM  THE  DEATH  OF  HIS  YOUNGEST  SON,  TO  THE 
PREACHING  OF  MR.  HILL  IN  THE  MINT. 

In  the  latter  end  of  1809,  Mr.  Cranfield  was 
called  to  mourn  the  death  of  his  friend  and 
coadjutor,  Mr.  Sims.  This  gentleman,  when 
he  entered  the  school,  was  but  a  novice  in  the 
things  of  God,  and  seemed  to  engage  in  the 
instruction  of  the  children  more  out  of  friend- 
ship to  those  with  whom  he  acted,  than  from 
an  ardent  desire  for  the  salvation  of  souls. 
Mr.  C,  aware  of  this,  embraced  every  oppor- 
tunity of  explaining  to  him  the  nature  and 
importance  of  the  work  in  which  he  was  en- 
gaged, and  the  necessity  of  seeking  that  divine 
aid,  without  which  all  his  exertions  would  be 
as  water  spilt  upon  the  ground.  He  wrote  him 
letters;  proposed  subjects  for  his  consideration, 
upon  which  he  requested  his  sentiments  in 
writing,  and  associated  him  in  his  visits  to  the 
beds  of  the  sick  and  the  dying,  and  by  these 
means  he  became  more  enlightened  in  the 
knowledge  of  Christ,  and  was  taught  to  engage 


156  MEMOIR     OF 

in  the  delightful  service  of  his  Lord  and  Sav- 
iour with  a  pure  desire  to  promote  his  glory 
in  the  world.  The  progress  he  made  in  the 
school  of  Christ  was  great. 

The  remains  of  this  excellent  man  were  fol- 
lowed to  the  grave  by  a  long  line  of  male  and 
female  teachers,  and  were  buried  near  those  of 
his  esteemed  friend  and  fellow-laborer,  Mr. 
Nixon,  at  Collyer's  Rents.  The  spectators 
were  addressed  by  the  Rev.  Rowland  Hill, 
who,  standing  on  a  tomb-stone,  wept  as  he 
pointed  to  the  grave  of  his  departed  friend, 
and  exclaimed,  "There  lies  an  honest  shoe- 
maker." 

This  loss  was  quickly  followed  by  another, 
still  more  severe,  occasioned  by  the  death  of 
his  valued  and  long-tried  friend,  Mr.  Burchett, 
a  man  full  of  good  works;  whose  pity  and  com- 
passion were  ever  excited  towards  his  suffering 
fellow-creatures;  and  whose  whole  benevolence 
was  exerted  in  relieving  their  wants,  and  in 
warning  every  man,  and  beseeching  every 
man,  as  in  the  sight  of  God,  with  all  patience 
and  long-suffering,  to  seek  the  Lord  while  he 
might  be  found,  and  to  call  upon  him  while  he 
is  near.  He  was  rich  in  good  works,  rich  in 
heavenly  tempers,  but  inexpressibly  richer 
in  his  Saviour's  righteousness.     Mr  C.  never 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  157 

thought  that  he  could  speak  too  highly  of  his 
worth  and  character.  In  a  letter  to  a  friend, 
he  says, 

"His  love  for  souls  was  great.  How  earn- 
estly did  he  entreat  the  children  in  his  address- 
es to  them,  to  be  reconciled  to  Christ!  How 
lovingly  did  he  set  the  Saviour  forth,  in  all  his 
exalted  perfections,  offices,  and  characters! 
How  fervent  were  his  prayers  for  the  rising 
race!  How  tenderly  did  he  deal  with  the  sick 
and  distressed!  No  abode  of  the  wretched  was 
too  mean  for  him  to  visit;  and  whenever  he 
saw  an  opportunity  of  doing  good,  he  always 
embraced  it.  If  the  children  or  parents  were 
naked,  he  clothed  them;  if  they  wanted  cover- 
ing for  their  bed,  he  provided  it;  if  they  wanted 
medical  assistance,  he  sent  a  doctor;  if  they 
wanted  wine  when  nature  was  exhausted,  his 
cellar  was  open  to  them;  did  they  want  friendly 
advice,  he  imparted  it;  in  short,  I  never  knew 
any  case  of  distress  come  under  his  notice, 
without  his  purse  being  opened  for  its  relief. 

"His remains  were  interred  in  Bunhill  fields; 
and  his  death  was  improved  by  the  Rev.  J. 
Campbell,  at  Kingsland,  from  Phil.  1:  23; 
and  at  Kentish  Town,  from  Psalm  63:  26." 

The  wind  and  storm  of  trouble,  which  in  its 
fury  had  well-nigh  overwhelmed  Mr.  C,  hav- 
14 


158  MEMOIROF 

ing  subsided,  he  began  again  to  experience 
the  peace  of  God  which  passeth  all  understand- 
ing, filling  him  with  joy  that  is  unspeakable, 
and  full  of  glory;  and,  like  the  mariner,  who 
has  long  been  detained  on  shore  through  the 
violence  of  contrary  gales,  again  weighed 
anchor,  and  set  forward  on  his  career  of 
usefulness.  He  began  to  visit  the  prisons  of 
the  metropolis;  and  the  misery  and  distress 
which  he  witnessed,  afforded  him  ample  scope 
for  the  employment  of  his  active  and  benevolent 
mind. 

The  circumstance  which  directed  his  atten- 
tion to  these  abodes  of  depravity  and  wretch- 
edness, was  the  distress  exhibited  by  an 
interesting  female  betrothed  to  a  young  man 
then  under  sentence  of  death  in  Horsemonger- 
lane  gaol.  She  came  to  Mr.  C,  and  making 
known  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  requested 
him  to  use  his  endeavors  in  obtaining  a  com- 
mutation of  punishment.  The  act  for  which 
the  criminal  was  doomed  to  suffer,  was  of  a 
comparatively  trivial  nature,  but  in  those  days 
of  ignorance  and  vice,  the  sanguinary  code  of 
laws  was  executed  with  rigor  and  severity. 
Mr.  C.  visited  him  in  his  cell,  obtained  such 
particulars  as  were  necessary  for  enabling  him 
to  frame  a  petition,  and  then  proceeded  in  his 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  159 

work  of  mercy  with  extraordinary  diligence 
and  perseverance.  He  first  waited  on  the 
Secretary  of  State,  and,  being  assured  of  the 
prompt  attention  of  the  government,  he  returned 
to  the  prison  to  wait  the  issue  of  his  application. 
He  had  not  been  there  long,  before  he  received 
the  distressing  intelligence  from  the  governor, 
that  he  had  orders  to  erect  the  fatal  scaffold. 
This  information  served  only  to  redouble  his 
diligence.  Knowing  the  high  esteem  in  which 
the  Right  Hon.  R.  B.  Sheridan  was  held  by 
the  Prince  Regent,  he  procured  a  letter  of 
recommendation  to  that  gentleman,  and,  ac- 
companied by  Mr.  Doxsey,  he  repaired  with 
it  to  his  house.  Mr.  Sheridan  being  from 
home,  the  papers  were  left,  and  he  was 
requested  to  call  the  next  day.  The  Sabbath 
now  arrived,  and  the  young  man's  funeral 
sermon  was  preached.  Mr.  C,  however, 
still  persevered,  and  after  repeated  applica- 
tions, was  admitted  to  a  private  interview  with 
Mr.  Sheridan,  when  he  made  such  a  forcible 
appeal  in  the  culprit's  behalf,  as  greatly  inter- 
ested his  feelings,  and  elicited  from  him  the 
promise  of  an  immediate  and  personal  applica- 
tion to  the  prince  upon  the  subject.  Mr.  C. 
again    returned    to    the    prison,    and    in   the 


160  MEMOIR     OF 

evening,  to   his    unspeakable   satisfaction,  an 
officer  knocked  at  the  gate  with  a  reprieve. 

This  merciful  interposition  of  the  royal 
prerogative,  naturally  awakened  in  the  unfor- 
tunate man  a  lively  feeling  of  gratitude  towards 
the  individual  who  had  so  kindly  interfered  on 
his  behalf. 

Notwithstanding  Mr.  Cranfield  had  met  with 
such  extraordinary  success,  he  was  not  entirely 
satisfied.  The  man,  through  reprieved,  was 
still  in  confinement,  and  Mr.  C.  was  resolved, 
if  possible,  to  obtain  his  discharge.  He  went, 
therefore,  again  to  Mr.  Sheridan;  and  after 
encountering  many  difficulties,  he  at  length 
obtained  for  the  unhappy  man  an  unconditional 
pardon,  and  brought  him  out  of  the  prison  to 
his  own  house,  where  the  female  to  whom  he 
was  attached  was  waiting  his  arrival. 

The  meeting  was  deeply  affecting;  tears  of 
joy  were  shed  in  abundance,  and  the  poor  man 
was  so  overcome  with  gratitude,  that,  after 
many  ineffectual  attempts  to  express  his  feel- 
ings, he  at  last  threw  himself  upon  the  ground, 
and  said  to  Mr.  Cranfield,  "There,  sir,  come 
and  walk  over  me."  Soon  after  this,  he 
married,  and  left  London,  and  Mr.  C.  never 
saw  or  heard  of  him  afterwards. 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  161 

Towards  the  close  of  the  year  1811,  Mr. 
Cranfield  having  much  business  at  Walworth, 
removed  with  his  family  to  that  place,  and, 
notwithstanding  the  distance,  his  attendance  at 
the  Sabbath  school  was  as  punctual  and  regu- 
lar as  ever,  nor  were  his  endeavors  to  turn 
young  sinners  to  righteousness  in  the  slightest 
degree  abated.  His  mind  was  constantly  on 
the  watch  for  fresh  methods  of  gaining  the 
children's  attention,  and  improving  their  minds. 
Having,  about  this  time,  heard  Mr.  Walker 
deliver  a  lecture  on  astronomy,  it  struck  him 
that  the  subject  might  be  so  simplified  as  to  be 
brought  down  to  the  capacities  of  the  young. 
He  communicated  his  ideas  to  the  teachers; 
and  Mr.  Elton,  one  of  the  number,  undertook 
to  deliver  a  lecture  in  the  school,  while  Mr.  C. 
was  to  compose  a  catechism  for  the  children. 
All  things  being  in  readiness,  the  parents  were 
invited,  and  the  contemplations  of  the  assembly 
were  raised  to  those  sublime  works  of  the 
great  Creator,  which  the  regions  of  the  sky 
contain,  and  the  midnight  hour  unveils.  After 
this,  the  elder  children  were  taught  to  repeat 
the  lecture,  while  the  younger  repeated  the 
catechism.  These  exhibitions  were  continued 
every  winter  during  several  succeeding  years; 
and  as  Mr.  C.  was  continually  improving  his 
14* 


162  MEMOIR     OF 

scenery,  it  is  supposed,  that  the  apparatus,  at 
different  times,  did  not  cost  him  less  that  £50. 
Whether  these  lectures  were  the  means  of 
producing  any  saving  impressions  on  the  minds 
of  the  children  or  parents,  has  not  been  ascer- 
tained; it  is  certain  that  they  were  instrumental 
in  increasing  the  number  of  scholars.  But  as 
a  consideration  of  the  heavens,  the  work  of 
God's  fingers,  and  the  moon  and  stars  which 
he  has  ordained,  is  so  admirably  adapted  to 
raise  the  mind  to  the  contemplation  of  him 
"who  is  the  Maker  of  them  all,"  it  may  be 
presumed  that  these  lectures  were  not  deliv- 
ered in  vain. 

In  all  his  plans  for  the  improvement  of  the 
children,  an  especial  regard  was  paid  to  their 
spiritual  welfare.  All  their  little  treats  and 
amusements  were  made  subservient  to  this  one 
object;  and  on  this  he  constantly  and  steadily 
fixed  his  eye.  It  was  for  this  purpose  that  he 
now  assembled  them  together  twice  in  the 
week,  and  taught  them  writing  and  ciphering. 
One  hour  was  occupied  in  these  secular 
pursuits,  and  the  remainder  of  the  time  devoted 
to  religious  exhortations.  In  this  work  he  was 
ably  assisted  by  Mr.  Kesterton.  This  zealous 
and  affectionate  friend  of  children  and  of  Sab- 
bath schools,  long  since  entered  into  his  rest, 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  163 

but  his  name  is  embalmed  in  the  memories  of 
numbers  who  have  listened  to  his  pious  and 
instructive  conversation,  and  have  been  bene- 
fited by  his  holy  example. 

About  the  year  1813,  Mr.  Cranfield  having 
no  longer  any  engagements  at  Walworth, 
removed  to  King  street,  Southvvark,  and  joined 
the  church  at  Surrey  Chapel,  where  he  was 
actively  employed  in  doing  good,  as  heretofore, 
in  the  Mint  district. 

In  the  year  1824,  Mr.  Cranfield,  being 
anxious  to  know  the  state  of  education, 
perambulated  the  neighborhood,  making  in- 
quiries in  different  parts  as  to  the  number 
of  families  in  a  house,  and  the  number  of 
children  in  each  family.  From  the  information 
he  received,  he  drew  an  average  of  the  proba- 
ble number  of  children  in  the  Mint;  and  then 
went  round  to  the  various  schools,  to  ascertain 
how  many  scholars,  in  each,  resided  in  that 
district.  The  following  is  the  result  of  his 
inquiries  and  calculations: — 

The  number  of  houses  in  the  interior  of  the 
Mint  is  1040;  the  number  of  families  occupying 
those  houses,  2973;  the  number  of  children 
from  five  to  sixteen  years  of  age,  reckoning  two 
and  a  quarter  to  each  family,  6689;  the  num- 
ber  of  children   receiving  instruction  in  the 


164  MEMOIR     OF 

various  charity,  national,  Lancasterian,  and 
Sabbath  schools,  2457.  So  from  this  statement 
it  would  appear  that  there  were  4232  children 
living  without  instruction. 

This  information  so  discouraged  and  dis- 
tressed him,  that  for  some  time  he  could  not 
take  his  usual  rest.  It  appeared  to  him  as 
though  he  had  labored  to  no  purpose.  His 
energies  and  spirits  seemed  greatly  to  decline, 
and  he  began  seriously  to  think  of  abandoning 
the  cause  in  despair. 

In  July,  1824,  while  indulging  these  gloomy 
reflections,  an  annual  meeting  of  the  teachers 
connected  with  the  Southwark  society,  took 
place  at  the  Grove  House,  Camberwell,  at 
which  he  communicated  the  result  of  his  inqui- 
ries, and  the  effect  it  had  produced  on  his 
mind.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Elliott,  of  Devizes,  who 
then  occupied  the  chair,  took  up  the  subject, 
and  stated  that  the  paper  which  had  been  read 
spoke  volumes.  He  called  upon  the  meeting 
not  to  allow  such  a  state  of  things  any  longer 
to  exist;  but  to  unite  all  their  energies  in 
attacking  this  strong-hold  of  ignorance  and 
vice.  "And  above  all  things,"  continued  he, 
with  great  animation,  "never  let  the  old  soldier 
throw  away  his  sword."  It  is  impossible  to 
describe  the  effect  that  this  well-timed  obser- 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  165 

vation  had  upon  Mr.  C.'s  mind.  He  arose 
from  his  despondency  like  a  "giant  refreshed," 
and  early  the  next  morning  he  was  at  his 
writing-table,  dividing  the  Mint  into  districts, 
and  forming  fresh  plans  for  bringing  the  chil- 
dren to  receive  instruction. 

The  important  statement  made  by  Mr.  C, 
having  been  publicly  contradicted,  he  deter- 
mined upon  a  more  minute  inquiry.  A  com- 
plete map  of  the  Mint  was  drawn,  with  all  its 
lanes,  courts,  streets,  and  alleys,  and  the 
number  of  houses  and  families,  with  the  chil- 
dren in  each,  ascertained  by  actual  inquiry  at 
every  dwelling.  This  work  occupied  him  and 
his  son  for  several  weeks;  and  at  the  close  of 
the  inquiry,  he  found  that  he  had  rather  under 
than  over-stated  the  numbers.  In  some  houses 
two  and  even  three  families  were  found  occu- 
pying one  room;  and  in  some  of  the  lodging- 
houses  there  were  nearly  one  hundred  inmates, 
of  whom  very  few  indeed  were  able  to  read. 
These  lodging-houses  were  kept  principally 
for  the  use  of  poor  travellers;  but  in  some  of 
the  better  regulated  of  them,  there  were 
a  great  many  constant  residents,  who  paid 
from  two  to  three-pence  per  day  for  their 
accommodation.  Some  idea  of  the  magnitude 
of  this  undertaking,  and  the  state  of  the  popu- 


166  MEMOIR     OF 

lation  in  this  district,  may  be  obtained  from  the 
perusal  of  the  following  document  which  he 
addressed  to  a  friend: — 

"Dear  Sir, — The  statement  that  I  made  at 
the  teachers'  meeting,  having  been  denied,  I 
thought  it  my  duty  to  go  round  the  neighbor- 
hood again,  and  to  be  a  little  more  minute  in 
my  inquiries,  and  the  result  fully  establishes 
the  facts  then  made  known." 

It  is  believed  that  scarcely  any  other  person 
than  Mr.  Cranfield  could  have  gained  this 
information.  When  his  son  proceeded  with 
the  inquiry  without  his  father,  he  was  sure  to 
be  insulted;  and  very  few,  indeed,  would 
answer  a  single  inquiry.  But  there  was  some- 
thing so  prepossessing  in  Mr.  C.'s  appearance, 
and  he  was  so  universally  known,  that  he 
readily  obtained  that  information  which  another 
would  have  failed  to  procure. 

The  lodging-houses  having  been  thus  brought 
under  his  notice,  he  felt  desirous  of  introduc- 
ing the  gospel  among  the  inmates.  He, 
therefore,  prevailed  upon  the  proprietor  of  one 
of  these  houses,  in  which  there  were  100 
lodgers,  to  consent  to  have  the  place  licensed 
for  the  performance  of  public  worship.  This 
was  done,  and  several  ministers  supplying  at 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  167 

Surrey  and  Union  street  Chapels,  proclaimed 
the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  to  this  poor,  but 
now  orderly  society  of  men. 

Mr.  Cranfield  now  spent  much  time,  on  the 
week  days,  in  teaching  the  inmates  to  read, 
and  explaining  to  them  the  different  portions 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  After  a  short  time, 
this  place  was  taken  under  the  superintendence 
of  the  ''Union  street  Christian  Instruction 
Society,"  though  Mr.  C.  still  continued  to 
attend  it  as  one  of  the  Society's  agents. 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  to  Mr. 
W.  Jones,  the  respected  Secretary  of  the 
Tract  Society,  will  show  not  only  his  care  and 
attention  towards  the  inmates  of  the  lodging- 
houses,  but,  also,  the  extent  to  which  the  good 
seed  of  the  word  of  life  was  sometimes  scat- 
tered by  the  winds  of  providence,  through  his 
agency. 

"Dear  Sir, — I  take  this  opportunity  of 
acknowledging  your  kindness  in  furnishing  me 
with  a  grant  of  tracts;  they  have  been  distrib- 
uted, some  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  others 
among  my  wretched  neighbors;  but  the  greater 
part  at  the  lodging-house.  Some  of  these  in- 
mates carry  the  word  of  life  wherever  they  go. 
One  man,  to  whom  I  gave  a  bundle  of  tracts, 


168 


MEMOIR     OF 


distributed  them  in  every  town  and  village  he 
passed  through  in  his  travels;  and  another,  in 
his  journey  to  Scotland  and  back,  left  one  at 
every  lodging-house  at  which  he  stopped. 
Thus  far,  sir,  I  have  sowed  the  seed,  and  am 
watering  it  with  prayer.  I  am  now  looking  for 
the  harvest;  but  it  may  not  be  in  my  life-time. 
One  thing  I  am  persuaded  of— it  will  not  return 
void.  No,  the  lip  of  truth  hath  said  it;  there- 
fore, I  am  thankful  that  I  am  enabled  to  leave 
it  in  the  hands  of  him  who  worketh  all  things 
according  to  the  counsel  of  his  own  will.  Mr. 
Hill  said  to  me  the  other  day,  '  You  must  fer- 
ret these  poor  creatures  out  of  their  holes.' 
'But,  sir,5  I  replied,  'it  is  impossible;  they  will 
not  come  out.'  'Then,'  said  he,  'you  must 
take  the  gospel  to  them.'  These  were  the 
words  of  Mr.  Hill.  Now  that  the  orders  of 
this  holy  man  may  be  put  into  execution,  I  call 
upon  you,  sir,  to  give  them  an  address  on  the 
first  Sabbath  in  the  next  month,  at  three 
o'clock." 

During  the  time  he  resided  in  King  street, 
Mr.  Cranfield  paid  frequent  visits  to  the  vari- 
ous prisons  in  the  metropolis,  especially  to 
that  in  Horsemonger  lane,  where  he  was  some- 
times admitted  to  the  condemned  cell,  and 
preached    Christ  crucified  to  the   unfortunate 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  169 

malefactors.  Having  heard  one  day,  that  a 
poor  man  in  this  prison  was  ordered  to  be  exe- 
cuted for  robbery  and  assault,  Mr.  C.  resolved 
to  visit  him.  He  accordingly  repaired  to 
Horsemonger  lane,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
prisoner's  apartment.  The  young  man  was 
pacing  the  room  with  hurried  and  unmeasured 
steps;  but  what  was  the  surprise  of  Mr.  Cran- 
field,  when  the  prisoner  turned  round,  and, 
with  a  look  of  astonishment,  mentioned  his 
name.  Mr.  C.  soon  found  that  he  was  one  of 
the  old  scholars  of  the  Mint,  who  had  been 
seduced  from  the  path  of  virtue  by  the  wicked 
spirits  who  move  about  seeking  whom  they 
can  destroy,  and  that  he  entertained  no  hopes 
of  mercy.  His  appearance  was  not  that  of  the 
hardened  and  unsubdued  felon,  treating  with 
contempt  the  utmost  power  of  the  law;  but  that 
of  the  broken-hearted  penitent,  who  would 
gladly  retrace  his  steps,  and  return  to  the 
order  and  purity  of  domestic  life.  "Oh,  sir," 
said  the  young  man,  "would  that  I  now  were 
sitting  on  the  form  where  you  used  to  instruct 
me!  If  I  had  listened  to  your  admonitions,  I 
should  not  have  now,"  pointing  to  his  fetters, 
"been  in  this  wretched  condition."  Then 
rising  from  his  seat,  which  he  had  upon  the 
entrance  of  his  teacher  resumed,  and  clasping 
15 


170  MEMOIR     OF 

his  hands  together  with  a  look  of  unutterable 
agony  and  despair,  cried,  "Oh,  how  I  hated 
instruction,  and  refused  to  listen  to  the  voice 
of  my  teachers  !  "  Mr.  C.  was  greatly  affected 
at  this  melancholy  spectacle;  he  mingled  his 
tears  of  sympathy  with  the  .prisoner's  tears  of 
bitter  sorrow,  and  endeavored,  by  the  consola- 
tions of  religion,  to  inspire  him  with  the  hope 
of  obtaining  mercy  at  the  hands  of  the  Lord, 
from  whom  he  had  grievously  departed. 

Not  satisfied,  however,  with  administering 
cordials  to  his  afflicted  soul,  Mr.  C.  determined 
to  use  his  exertions,  to  prevent  the  extreme 
penalty  of  the  law  from  being  inflicted  on  his 
body.  Having  furnished  himself  with  the 
necessary  information,  he  drew  up  a  petition  to 
the  Secretary  of  State,  in  which  the  prosecutor 
joined  in  recommending  mercy.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day,  however,  he  was  somewhat  dis- 
couraged, by  observing  in  the  public  prints, 
that  the  Surrey  magistrates  had  vainly  endea- 
vored to  interfere  in  the  prisoner's  behalf;  still 
he  persevered.  He  waited  on  the  Rev. 
Rowland  Hill;  and  so  far  influenced  him  in 
favor  of  the  criminal,  as  to  obtain  from  him  a 
recommendatory  letter  to  an  influential  member 
of  the  privy  council,  and  eventually,  the 
sentence  was  changed   into  transportation  for 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  171 

life;  but  not  until  the  fatal  apparatus  was 
erected  for  the  culprit's  execution,  and  his 
funeral  sermon  preached.  The  exertions, 
however,  of  Mr.  C.  did  not  terminate  here: 
he  drew  up  another  petition,  praying  his 
majesty  not  to  suffer  the  young  man  to  be  sent 
out  of  the  country;  and,  after  a  vast  deal  of 
trouble,  he  was  informed  that  the  prisoner 
would  only  be  sent  to  the  hulks,  at  Woolwich. 
The  last  time  Mr.  Cranfield  saw  him,  he 
appeared  to  be  truly  penitent,  and  was  paying 
a  respectful  attention  to  the  claims  of  religion. 
Mr.  C.  used  frequently  to  mention  a  circum- 
stance that  happened  about  this  time,  and 
which  greatly  interested  him.  One  morning, 
being  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Justice  Bailey,  on 
behalf  of  a  young  man  under  sentence  of  death, 
he  saw  the  servants,  who  had  been  to  family 
worship,  descending  the  stairs  with  their 
Bibles  in  their  hands.  "Here,"  thought  he, 
"I  shall  be  sure  to  succeed;  for  this  is  the 
house  of  a  Christian;  and  piety  and  mercy 
always  go  hand  in  hand."  He  was  not  de- 
ceived; the  representations  that  he  made  were 
such  as  to  induce  that  enlightened  judge  to 
recommend  the  prisoner  to  his  majesty's  mercy. 
The  young  man  was  then  ordered  to  be  trans- 
ported for  life;  he   again  interfered,  and  the 


172  MEMOIR     OF 

government  consented  to  his  remaining  at 
Chatham.  A  third  time  he  petitioned  for  a 
mitigation  of  punishment,  and  the  prisoner  was 
then  removed  into  the  penitentiary  at  Millbank; 
from  thence,  he  was  some  time  afterwards 
liberated,  and  is  now  occupying  a  respectable 
and  confidential  situation  in  the  country. 

These  are  not  the  only  instances  in  which 
he  succeeded  in  saving  the  lives  of  his  fellow- 
creatures,  which  had  been  forfeited  to  the  laws 
of  his  country;  others,  of  an  interesting 
character,  might  be  added.  Indeed,  the 
numerous  cases  in  which  Mr.  C.  exerted 
himself,  for  the  purpose  of  rescuing  his  fellow- 
creatures  from  the  severity  of  the  criminal-law, 
would  alone  furnish  sufficient  matter  for  a 
volume.  His  drawers  were  filled  with  petitions 
to  government,  and  briefs  to  counsel,  on  the 
latter  of  which  various  sums  of  from  one  to 
three  guineas  paid  were  marked,  and  on  nearly 
all  of  which  the  verdict  of  "not  guilty"  was 
recorded.  These  sums  were  often  paid  out  of 
his  own  pocket,  besides  expenses  of  attending 
the  Maidstone,  Kingston,  and  other  assizes. 
His  success  in  these  undertakings  was  truly 
astonishing;  indeed,  he  never  was  known 
entirely  to  fail  in  any  case  which  he  undertook. 
The  reason  was  this;   he  always  commenced 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  173 

the  work  with  fervent  prayer,  and,  having 
implored  God's  assistance  in  the  undertaking, 
he  proceeded  with  a  resolution  and  persever- 
ance, which  were  only  increased  by  difficulties 
and  stimulated  by  opposition.  His  love  for 
mankind  prompted  him  to  view  their  miseries 
with  grief  and  compassion,  and  to  embrace 
every  favorable  opportunity  of  procuring  relief; 
and  thus  he  endeavored  to  follow  the  footsteps 
of  him  "who  is  kind  to  the  unthankful  and  to 
the  evil,"  causing  his  sun  to  shine,  and  his 
rain  to  fall  upon  the  just  and  upon  the  unjust. 

In  the  Fleet  prison,  he  introduced  a  weekly 
prayer-meeting,  which  was  held  several  months 
in  the  room  of  Mr.  Smith,  who  had  been  for  a 
number  of  years  confined  for  contempt  of 
court,  and  whose  sufferings  and  imprisonment 
subsequently  furnished  matter  for  much  com- 
ment in  the  daily  newspapers,  and  were  such 
as  to  excite  the  sympathies  of  the  public. 
These  meetings  were  made  a  blessing  to  many. 
A  short  time  since,  the  son  of  Mr,  Smith  was 
met  by  one  of  Mr.  Cranfield's  daughters,  and, 
after  making  inquiries  respecting  her  father's 
welfare,  he  said,  "Tell  him  how  much  obliged 
to  him  I  feel  for  having  conducted  the  prayer- 
meeting  in  our  room.  I  was  then  a  thoughtless 
young  man,  and  loved  more  the  game  of  rackets 
15* 


174  MEMOIR     OF 

than  the  study  of  my  Bible;  but,  through  his 
instrumentality,  I  have  been  enabled  to  discover 
my  sin  and  danger,  and  am  now  constant  in 
my  attendance  on  the  means  of  grace.  I  shall 
have  reason  to  bless  God  as  long  as  I  live, 
that  his  attention  was  ever  directed  to  our 
prison." 

About  the  year  1828,  his  calls  to  attend  the 
beds  of  the  sick  and  dying  in  the  Mint,  becom- 
ing much  more  frequent,  and  being  then  in  his 
seventy-first  year,  he  removed  altogether  to 
the  Mint,  and  took  up  his  abode  in  the  very 
centre  of  the  place  that  had  been  now  for 
nearly  thirty  years  the  scene  of  his  labors. 
Here  he  employed  himself  in  going  about  from 
house  to  house;  inquiring  into  the  state  of 
education  among  the  children,  exhorting  the 
inhabitants  to  attend  the  means  of  grace;  visit- 
ing the  sons  and  daughters  of  affliction,  and 
pouring  the  balm  of  consolation  into  their 
troubled  spirits.  Having  now  an  income 
barely  sufficient  for  his  own  maintenance,  he 
had  but  little  to  give  to  the  poor.  When, 
therefore,  he  met  with  any  peculiar  case  of 
distress,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  relieving  it 
with  what  money  he  had  in  his  possession,  and 
placing  it  to  the  Lord's  account  (as  he  termed 
it) ;  he  then  made  out  a  statement  of  the  case, 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  175 

and  sent  it  to  some  more  affluent  friend,  and 
he  soon  became  possessed  of  sufficient  funds, 
not  only  to  balance  the  account,  but  also  to 
secure  a  surplus  for  the  further  relief  of  the 
sufferer. 

His  son,  calling  upon  him  one  day,  saw- 
some  figures  chalked  over  his  fire-place,  and 
jocosely  asked  him  if  he  had  got  a  public-house 
score  there?  "No,"  he  replied,  "that  is  the 
Lord's  score.  I  have  been  laying  out  a  little 
money  to  purchase  bread,  coals  and  other 
necessaries,  for  some  of  his  children;  and 
when  I  put  it  up  to  his  account,  he  invariably 
pays  it  with  interest."  Upon  this  persuasion 
he  always  acted,  and  never  for  a  moment 
hesitated  to  lay  out  his  very  last  shilling  for 
the  relief  of  the  distressed,  especially  of  those 
who  were  of  the  household  of  faith ;  and  his 
idea  of  this  household  comprehended  all  who 
love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity,  and 
was  not  limited  by  any  regard  to  denominations, 
parties  or  systems. 

In  the  winter  seasons,  Mr.  Cranfield  spent 
much  of  his  time  in  collecting  supplies  for  the 
relief  of  the  poor;  and  with  the  money  which 
he  obtained,  he  purchased  bread,  rice,  potatoes, 
sago,  and  the  necessary  ingredients  for  soup; 
and   in   this   work   he   was    generally   busily 


176  MEMOIR     OF 

engaged  during  the  whole  of  the  frosty  weather. 
The  Rev.  Rowland  Hill,  who  used  to  style 
him  the  "Bishop  of  the  Mint,"  assisted  him 
greatly  in  his  benevolent  schemes,  not  only  by 
contributions  from  his  own  purse,  but  also  by 
recommendations  to  various  members  in  his 
congregation,  who  were  in  possession  of  this 
world's  goods. 

The  plan  which  he  adopted  in  affording 
relief  was  this;  when  persons  applied  for 
assistance,  he  took  down  their  names  and 
addresses,  and  visited  them  at  their  own  homes; 
he  then  spoke  to  them  upon  the  concerns  of 
their  souls;  inquired  if  they  had  a  Bible,  if 
they  attended  a  place  of  worship,  or  sent  their 
children  to  a  Sabbath  school;  and,  after  satis- 
fying himself  of  the  deserving  character  of  the 
applicants,  a  ticket  was  given  them,  with  which 
they  called  on  him  the  next  day,  and  received 
such  supplies  as  their  cases  demanded. 

In  detailing  the  proceedings  of  one  of  these 
days,  he  makes  the  following  remark: — "Dis- 
tributed seventy-seven  loaves  of  bread,  and 
seventy-five  quarts  of  good  rich  soup.  The 
whole  business  was  completed  within  one  hour, 
without  the  least  confusion.  Never  was  a 
benefit  received  with  such  expressions  of  grat- 
itude.    Several  of  the  poor  creatures,   when 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  177 

receiving  the  food,  had  their  faces  bedewed 
with  tears.  One  woman,  who  had  not  tasted 
food  for  two  days,  wept  aloud  for  joy.  The 
sight  was  too  affecting  to  behold.  Several  of 
them  were  the  Lord's  poor,  and  of  the  fifty-one 
individuals  who  received  this  temporary  supply, 
only  two  had  any  allowance  from  the  parish." 

Much  good  was  done  in  this  way,  and  many 
were  thereby  induced  to  attend  the  means  of 
grace;  but  as  others,  through  want  of  decent 
apparel,  were  ashamed  to  repair  to  public 
places  of  worship,  Mr.  C.  prevailed  upon  the 
Rev.  Rowland  Hill  to  preach  a  sermon  to  them 
at  the  Sabbath  school ;  with  which  request  he 
complied,  and  the  place  was  filled  almost  to 
suffocation.  His  example  was  followed  by 
others,  especially  by  some  who  were  training 
for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  while  Mr.  Cran- 
field  generally  officiated  as  clerk.  At  his 
solicitation,  however,  the  evening  service  at 
this  place  was  afterwards  taken  under  the 
superintendence  of  the  Committee  of  the  Surrey 
Chapel  Christian  Instruction  Society,  through 
whose  instrumentality  the  glorious  gospel  of 
the  Son  of  God  is  now  regularly  preached, 
every  Sabbath,  to  the  poor  of  the  Mint. 


178  MEMOIR     OF 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

FROM  THE  PREACHING  OF  MR.  HILL  IN  THE  MINT,  TO 
THE  DEATH  OF  HLS  LAST  WIFE. 

When  the  plan  of  infant  instruction  was 
published  to  the  world,  Mr.  Cranfield  hailed  it 
as  a  harbinger  of  brighter  days.  He  foresaw 
that  many  who  would  not  allow  their  children 
to  attend  a  Sabbath  school,  would  be  glad  to 
have  a  place  where  they  could  send  them  on 
the  week-days,  while  they  were  engaged  from 
home  in  their  ordinary  occupations;  and  thus, 
not  only  the  children,  but  the  parents,  through 
them,  might  be  instructed  in  the  things  which 
make  for  their  everlasting  happiness.  Having, 
therefore,  obtained  permission  from  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  Southwark  Sunday  School  So- 
ciety, to  instruct  the  infants  in  the  Mint-school, 
he,  on  the  5th  of  July,  1830,  opened  that  place 
for  the  reception  of  infants,  who  attended  in 
great  numbers;  and,  although  in  his  seventy- 
third  year,  he  proceeded  in  the  work  with  all 
the  ardor  and  energy  of  a  young  man.  He 
visited  several  infant  schools  to  observe  their 
proceedings,  and,  having  obtained  much  valu- 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  179 

able  information,  he  returned  home,  to  mark 
out  a  course  for  himself.  His  first  aim  was  to 
instruct  the  children  in  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  word  of  life,  with  most  of  the  histories, 
incidents,  doctrines,  and  precepts  therein  con- 
tained. He  composed  catechisms  on  a  number 
of  interesting  subjects,  such  as  the  journeying 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  the  lives  of  Christ, 
Joseph,  David,  and  of  all  the  kings  of  Israel 
and  Judah.  He  taught  them  the  Jewish 
weights  and  measures;  engaged  them  in  mak- 
ing various  measurements  in  the  street,  and  on 
the  school-floor,  such  as  of  Noah's  ark,  Og's 
bedstead,  and  the  stature  of  Goliath;  and  by 
these  means  the  children  obtained  a  wonderful 
knowledge  of  the  historical  part  of  the  word  of 
God. 

The  intellectual  instruction  of  his  scholars 
he  made  only  a  secondary  object.  Once  a 
quarter  he  assembled  the  parents,  to  witness 
the  progress  of  their  children;  and  on  these 
occasions,  he  would  endeavor  to  get  the  Rev. 
Rowland  Hill,  or  some  other  pious  friend,  to 
preside,  and  deliver  an  address.  Mr.  Hill, 
at  the  first,  did  not  approve  of  these  infant 
seminaries;  but  when  he  witnessed  the  chil- 
dren's knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  and  found, 
from  actual  examination,  that  that  knowledge 


180  MEMOIR     OF 

was  not  so  superficial  as  he  expected  to  find 
it,  his  opinions  underwent  an  entire  change, 
and  he  declared  that  the  introduction  of  the 
infant  school  into  the  Mint,  was  one  of  the 
greatest  blessings  that  could  have  been  con- 
ferred on  the  inhabitants. 

These  quarterly  meetings  proved  extremely 
interesting,  and  were  generally  attended  by  a 
number  of  respectable  persons;  this  was 
especially  the  case  on  one  occasion,  when  Mr. 
Hill  presided.  O,  it  was  a  delightful  treat  to 
see  the  two  aged  pilgrims,  surrounded  by  a 
motley  group  of  upwards  of  one  hundred  infants, 
whom  they  were  endeavoring,  with  lively  zeal 
and  animation,  to  lead  to  the  Saviour.  The 
contrast  here  exhibited  of  youth  and  age,  would 
have  afforded  an  admirable  subject  for  the 
pencil;  and  the  ample  supply  of  buns,  biscuits, 
and  reward-books,  standing  in  the  back-ground, 
to  which  the  glistening  eyes  of  the  children 
were  ever  and  anon  directed,  would  have 
served  to  render  the  picture  complete.  After 
the  service,  the  two  venerable  friends  sat  and 
conversed  upon  by-gone  days,  when  mention 
was  made  of  their  labors  at  Kingsland.  ' '  That 
was  a  long  time  ago,"  said  Mr.  Hill;  "why, 
how  old  are  you,  Mr.  Cranfield?  "  "  Seventy- 
hree,"  answered   the  latter;    "few  and  evil 


THOMAS      CRANFIELI).  181 

have  been  the  days  of  my  pilgrimage."  "Only 
seventy-three,"  replied  Mr.  Hill,  with  his 
accustomed  drollery;  "then  you  are  but  a 
chicken  to  me."  The  revered  minister  seemed 
much  delighted  with  this  meeting,  and,  but  for 
his  increasing  infirmities,  he  would  have  re- 
peated his  visit. 

Most  humiliating  views  he  had  of  himself, 
with  intense  breathings  of  heart  after  God,  in 
the  midst  of  business,  and  while  surrounded  by 
upwards  of  one  hundred  little  children.  During 
the  time  he  was  engaged  in ,  this  school,  no 
less  than  two  thousand  children  passed  under 
his  instruction,  some  of  whom,  although  very 
young  in  years,  died,  leaving  behind  them 
very  satisfactory  evidences  of  their  meetness 
for  the  heavenly  kingdom.  Particularly  was 
this  the  case  with  a  little  girl  five  years  old, 
and  a  boy  six,  who  both  were  the  means  of 
their  mothers'  conversion.  The  latter  child 
died  while  in  the  exercise  of  prayer.  Mr. 
Cranfield,  in  writing  to  a  friend,  detailing  an 
account  of  his  success,  closes  with  the  follow- 
ing remark: — 

"  Permit  me  to  say,  that  I  have  spent  thirty- 
three   years    in    endeavoring    to    instruct    the 
children  of  the  poor  in  this  neighborhood,  and 
have  seen  the  fruits  of  those  instructions  in 
16 


182  MEMOIR      OF 

the  salvation  of  many;  but  my  past  labors 
appear  as  lost,  in  comparison  with  what  I 
anticipate  from  the  effects  of  infant  school 
instruction,  when  my  head  will  be  laid  low  in 
the  grave." 

Much  of  his  time  was  occupied,  between 
school  hours,  and  on  half-holidays,  in  visiting 
the  parents,  to  whom  he  always  sent  tracts  by 
the  children,  and  exchanged  them  weekly. 
These  visits  were  frequently  made  instrumental 
in  enlightening  their  minds  in  the  knowledge 
of  Christ,  and  several  died  happy  in  the  Lord. 
Some  of  these  death-bed  scenes  were  of  so 
interesting  and  encouraging  a  nature,  that  it 
would  be  almost  criminal  to  pass  them  over  in 
silence. 

He  was  sent  for  to  visit  a  poor  sick  woman, 
who  had  two  children  in  the  Mint  school.  She 
was  in  the  last  stage  of  a  decline,  caused  by  a 
cold  taken  in  her  confinement.  In  answer  to 
the  visiter's  questions,  she  said  that  "she  had 
a  good  hope  she  should  go  to  heaven,  because 
she  had  always  acted  uprightly,  and  could  not 
reproach  herself  with  being  guilty  of  a  single 
immoral  act;  and  that,  after  all  her  afflictions 
in  this  life,  she  could  not  believe  that  God 
would  refuse  to  receive  her  to  himself  when 
she  died."     Upon  his  further  questioning  her, 


THOMAS      CRAN  FIELD.  183 

she  said  that  it  was  true  she  had  neglected  the 
worship  of  God,  and  the  concerns  of  her  soul; 
but  then  her  domestic  duties  were  so  many, 
and  so  pressing,  that  she  could  not  find  time 
for  the  former,  without  neglecting  the  latter. 
Seeino-  the  awful  delusion  under  which  she 
was  laboring,  he  warned  her  of  her  danger, 
and  endeavored,  by  the  assistance  of  God  the 
Spirit,  to  awaken  her  to  a  true  sense  of  her 
spiritual  condition.  After  some  conversation, 
he  read  to  her  the  third  chapter  of  Romans, 
and  further  explained  to  her  how  she  was  held 
under  the  power  of  sin,  and  the  curse  of  the 
broken  law.  His  visits  e  •£  rep  iate  1  several 
times  without  any  apparent  success;  and, 
being  greatly  concerned  lest  she  should  perish 
without  an  interest  in  the  Saviour,  his  visits 
were  repeated  more  frequently,  and  he  spent 
much  time  in  secret  prayer  on  her  behalf.  At 
length,  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  open  her  eyes, 
and  to  turn  her  from  darkness  unto  light,  when 
she  became  greatly  concerned  about  her  soul ; 
her  guilt  pressed  heavily  upon  her,  and  she 
cried  out,  "O  Lord,  I  am  oppressed;  under- 
take for  me!"  Shortly  before  her  death,  when 
he  entered  the  room,  she  took  his  hands  in 
hers,  and  said,  "God  bless  you,  my  dear  sir, 
for  all  your  attention  to  me.     You  have  been 


184  MEMOIR      OF 

the  means  of  saving  my  soul.  Farewell;  I 
am  going  to  my  Father's  house.  Blessed  be 
his  holy  name,  he  has  pardoned  all  my  sins. 
When  you  first  visited  me,  and  told  me  of  my 
sinful  state,  you  made  me  tremble,  though  I 
could  not  see  the  justice  of  your  remarks;  but, 
blessed  be  his  holy  name,  he  has  not  only 
showed  me  my  sins,  but  he  has  washed  them 
in  redeeming  blood."  The  remainder  of  this 
account  must  be  given  in  his  own  words: — 

"  Wednesday, — This  was  indeed  a  day  of 
the  Son  of  Man.  She  seemed  delighted  as  I 
entered;  and,  having  helped  her  to  a  little 
drink,  she  took  me  by  the  hand,  and  began  to 
converse  with  such  freedom,  as  both  delighted 
and  astonished  me.  'I  have  no  hope,'  she 
said,  '  but  in  Him  that  died  on  the  cross.  O 
no,  no,  no!  none  but  Jesus  could  pardon  me. 
He  has  done  it;  and,  blessed  be  his  name,  he 
is  a  Saviour  of  sinners,  yea,  the  vilest  of  them. 
There  is  none  other  name  given  under  heaven 
whereby  they  can  be  saved.  Glory,  glory  be 
to  his  dear  name.  O  sir,  Jesus  Christ  is 
everything;  none  but  he  could  do  sinners  good. 
May  he  bless  you,  and  bless  your  instructions 
to  my  children.'  I  now  entreated  her  to  be 
silent,  as  I  was  sure  her  weak  frame  could  not 
jong  support   such   exertion.       'No,   no,'  she 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  185 

said,  '  I  must  speak  of  Jesus;  I  love  to  speak 
of  him,  for  he  has  saved  my  soul;'  and  she 
thus  went  on,  until  nature  at  length  became 
exhausted,  and  her  tongue  could  no  longer 
discharge  the  office  which  her  grateful  heart 
was  still  desirous  it  should  perform.  Having 
read  the  103d  Psalm,  and  engaged  in  prayer, 
I  bade  her  farewell;  and  went  home,  with  my 
heart  glowing  with  gratitude  and  joy,  having 
witnessed  one  of  the  most  delightful  scenes 
which  can  possibly  interest  the  heart  of  a 
Christian.  Never  in  my  life  did  I  have  the 
gospel  preached  to  me  with  such  force  and 
power,  as  it  was  by  this  poor  emaciated  crea- 
ture. On  Sunday  morning,  at  seven  o'clock, 
I  was  sent  for,  as  it  was  thought  her  departure 
was  then  at  hand.  'A  few  minutes,'  said  I, 
'  and  you  will  be  at  your  Father's  house. '  She 
moved  her  lips,  as  if  desirous  of  speaking;  but 
the  power  of  utterance  was  for  ever  gone.  I 
asked  her  if  Jesus  was  still  precious  to  her 
soul;  if  so,  to  lift  up  her  hand;  which  she 
immediately  did.  I  called  again  at  twelve 
o'clock,  and  found  her  still  in  the  body.  I 
spoke  to  her  of  the  presence  of  Christ  in  the 
valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  and  asked  her 
if  she  still  felt  him  near,  and  if  so,  again  to 
hold  up  her  hand;  she  accordingly  held  it  up. 
16* 


186  MEMOIR      OF 

and  waved  it  in  a  kind  of  triumph.  I  visited 
her  again  at  a  quarter  to  two,  and  just  as  I 
entered  the  room,  her  happy  spirit  departed." 
In  August,  1834,  he  was  sent  for  to 'visit  a 
dying  man,  near  to  the  school;  and,  as  usual, 
asked  him  if  he  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
attending  the  means  of  grace?  "Yes,"  he 
replied,  "I  am  a  churchman;  and  was  in  the 
habit  of  attending  the  church,  until  I  heard 
that  the  parson  had  a  great  salary,  while  the 
poor  curate,  who  did  all  the  work,  had  but 
little.  I  then  left,  and  read  my  Bible  at  home, 
as  I  knew  as  much  as  the  parson  could  tell 
me."  Mr.  C.  visited  him  constantly  for  three 
weeks,  when  light  began  to  break  in  upon  his 
mind,  and  he  was  at  length  convinced  that  his 
righteousness  was  as  filthy  rags.  A  little 
halfpenny  book,  entitled,  "The  Cloud,  look 
beyond  it,"  was  given  to  him,  which  afforded 
him  much  support  and  consolation,  and  was 
the  theme  of  his  conversation  for  several  days. 
Being  asked  what  his  soul  breathed  after  most, 
during  his  wearisome  days  and  nights,  he 
made  a  long  pause,  and  then  said,  "  It  breathes 
after  a  solid  holiness  of  heart.  I  want  sin  out 
of  me."  On  the  day  of  his  decease,  Mr. 
Cranfield  says,  "I  visited  him  about  noon, 
and  seeing  he  could  not  continue  many  hours 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  187 

I  said,  '  You  are  walking  in  the  dark  vale  of 
death.  Are  you  looking  beyond  the  cloud?' 
His  answer  was,  with  a  low  voice,  'I  am 
looking  through  the  cloud.'  These  were  his 
last  words  to  me.  I  asked  him  if  he  found  his 
mind  supported  by  the  word  and  the  Spirit  of 
God?  He  gave  me  his  hand,  with  a  sign  that 
it  was.  After  prayer,  seeing  his  mouth 
parched,  I  went  to  procure  him  a  little  jelly; 
but,  before  I  returned,  his  soul  was  departed, 
I  hope,  to  be  with  Jesus." 

The  last  case  selected,  is  one  that  made  so 
powerful  an  impression  on  his  own  mind,  that 
he  could  scarcely  think  on  any  other  subject 
for  weeks  afterwards.  It  shall  be  given  in  his 
own  language: — 

"I  was  called  upon  to  visit  a  poor  man,  who 
had  been  confined  to  his  room  six  weeks,  and 
was  supposed  to  be  dying.  The  moment  I 
was  introduced,  he  sprang  out  of  bed,  and 
earnestly  seized  my  hand,  as  though  I  had 
been  an  angel  from  heaven.  His  whole 
appearance  was  truly  appalling;  his  hair  stood 
up  like  one  that  was  in  the  utmost  state  of 
alarm.  His  lips  quivered,  his  knees  trembled, 
and  agony  and  despair  were  strongly  expressed 
in  his  countenance.  I  begged  of  hirn  to  be 
composed,  and  to  re-enter  his  bed;  he  seated 


188  MEMOIR      OF 

r 

himself  on  the  side  of  it,  and,  in  a  state  o1 
distraction,  cried  out,  'O,  the  burning  lake! 
the  burning  lake!'  I  requested  him  to  be 
silent,  and  to  hear  what  I  had  to  say ;  but  he 
paid  no  attention  to  me,  and  continued  to 
vociferate,  'O,  the  burning  lake! — I  saw  their 
horrid  countenances,  and  they  told  me  that  I 
should  be  there,  and  remain  for  ever  and  ever!' 
He  again  grasped  my  hand,  and,  gnashing 
with  his  teeth,  continued  to  utter  similar 
expressions.  Dreadful  as  wTas  this  scene,  I 
still  pressed  the  man  to  hear  me,  if  it  was  only 
for  one  moment,  as  I  had  good  news  to  tell 
him;  but  all  was  in  vain;  he  still  continued  to 
cry,  'O,  the  burning  lake!  I  am  the  vilest 
sinner  that  ever  lived!  I  shall  go  there,  and 
be  lost  for  ever!'  'Will  you,'  said  I,  at 
length,  with  great  earnestness,  '  hear  me  just 
for  one  moment,  or  not?  '  He  then  said, 
*  Well,  sir,  I  will  hear  you,'  and  for  a  moment 
ceased.  Seizing  the  opportunity,  I  said  to 
him,  'Look  on  me,  and  listen  to  what  I  am 
about  to  say: — The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
cleanseth  from  all  sin.'  He  looked  at  me  with 
attention,  and  replied,  'But  I  am  the  greatest 
sinner  that  ever  existed! '  '  O,'  said  I,  '  I  will 
challenge  you  upon  that  score.  I  have  been  a 
soldier,  and  you  know  that  soldiers  in  general 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  189 

are  very  wicked;  I  have  been  a  blasphemer.' 
'So  have  I,' said  the  man.  'I  have  been  a 
persecutor.'  'So  have  I.'  'I  have,'  said  I, 
1  set  at  nought  God  himself,  and  would,  if  I 
could,  have  pulled  him  from  his  throne.  Nay, 
I  have  been  so  alarmed  on  account  of  my  sin, 
that  I  have  been  afraid  the  ground  would  open 
its  mouth  and  swallow  me  up;  but  I  obtained 
mercy,  and  so  may  you.'  The  man  now 
ceased  to  reply;  and  I  went  on  for  about  an 
hour,  showing  him,  from  God's  word,  his 
readiness  to  forgive.  But  the  word  seemed 
to  make  no  impression  on  his  mind;  and  after 
prayer  I  took  my  leave,  having  promised  to 
visit  him  again.  As  I  bade  him  farewell,  he 
looked  at  me  very  earnestly,  and  said,  '  I  shall 
be  dead,  sir,  before  you  see  me  again.'  At 
six  o'clock,  I  repeated  my  visit,  and  he 
appeared  to  be  in  the  same  state  of  mind, 
crying  out  that  he  should  go  to  the  lake. 
Since  I  had  called  in  the  morning,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Stevenson  had  visited  him,  but  without 
any  apparent  success.  After  some  conversa- 
tion, I  told  him  that  I  would  go  home,  and 
pray  for  him,  but  that,  at  the  same  time,  he 
must  pray  for  himself.  He  replied  that  he 
could  not  pray.  I  then  asked  him  as  a  favor, 
to  say  these  words: — 'God  be  merciful  to  me 


190  MEMOIR      OF 

a  sinner,'  and  to  keep  on  saying  them  until 
God  should  answer  him,  and  pardon  his  sins. 
I  returned  home,  with  my  mind  deeply  im- 
pressed with  the  awful  scene  I  had  witnessed. 
I  retired  to  bed,  but  could  not  sleep;  and  I 
may  say,  that  I  continued  nearly  the  whole  of 
the  night  in  prayer  to  God  for  him.  In  the 
morning,  at  nine  o'clock,  I  hastened  to  the 
house  again,  not  expecting  to  find  him  alive; 
but,  behold,  I  saw  him  below  stairs,  '  clothed, 
and  in  his  right  mind,'  with  the  Bible  on  his 
knees.  I  looked,  and  looked  again,  and  with 
astonishment  said,  'Am  I  deceived?'  He 
answered,  '  No;  it  is  I.  O,  sir,  I  have  had 
such  a  comfortable  night  as  I  never  experi- 
enced before.  I  have  lost  the  burden;  blessed 
be  God,  here  I  am,  writh  my  precious  Bible.' 
He  then  broke  out  with  these  words: — 'And 
they  shall  be  mine,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  in 
that  day  when  I  make  up  my  jewels;  and  I 
will  spare  them,  as  a  man  spareth  his  own  son 
that  serveth  him.'  'Where,'  said  I,  'did  you 
find  that  blessed  scripture?'  'Here,'  he 
replied,  pointing  to  Malachi  3:  17,  'in  my 
precious  Bible.'  After  some  delightful  con- 
versation, I  engaged  in  prayer,  and  again 
took  my  leave;  and  the  next  day  he  went  into 
the  country  for  the  benefit  of  his  health,  and  I 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  191 

saw  him  no  more;  for  very  soon  after  his 
arrival  at  the  place  of  his  destination,  he  died." 
Being  extremely  anxious  to  learn  his  dying 
testimony,  Mr.  C.  wrote  to  the  minister  who, 
he  understood,  had  attended  him  in  his  last 
moments,  from  whom  he  received  the  following 
reply: — 

*  Clay,  Jan.  28th,  1835. 

"Dear  Sir, — I  am  sorry  so  much  time  has 
elapsed,  with  your  letter  unanswered.  I  was 
from  home  when  it  came,  it  being  the  Christ- 
mas vacation,  and  this  is  the  first  opportunity 
I  have  had  since  its  termination.  I  saw  Mr. 
W.  but  once  since  his  last  visit  into  the 
country,  when  I  found  him  exceedingly  ill, 
extremely  ebilitated,  and  almost  suffocated 
with  phlegm.  He  referred  to  the  circumstance 
you  mention,  but  it  was  in  broken  sentences; 
and  I  could  not  understand  it  so  fully  from  him 
as  from  your  letter;  but  when  I  read  your's  to 
his  mother,  she  said  it  was  a  just  description 
of  what  he  had  told  her.  When  I  saw  him, 
he  seemed  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  his 
deep  depravity,  enormous  guilt,  and  great 
unworthiness;  and  attributed  it  to  divine  long- 
suffering  alone,  that  he  was  not  then  with  the 
devil  and  his  angels;  and  was  frequently  cry- 


192  MEMOIR      OF 

ing  for  mercy.  I  believed  him  to  be  a  sincere 
penitent,  for  he  expressed  himself  as  having  a 
knowledge  of  salvation  by  the  remission  of 
sins.  In  this  state  I  left  him,  and  saw  him  no 
more." 

In  1832,  Mr.  Cranfield,  at  the  request  of 
several  of  his  friends,  resigned  the  office  of 
Superintendent  of  the  Mint  Sabbath  school 
into  the  hands  of  Mr.  John  Smith,  one  of  the 
teachers  there,  and  employed  his  time  on  the 
Sabbath,  during  the  intervals  of  worship,  in 
visiting  the  various  schools  connected  with  the 
Society,  and  watching  the  progress  of  the 
cause  of  God  in  the  Lodging-house. 

In  1833,  Mr.  C.  was  much  affected  by  the 
death  of  his  friend  and  pastor,  Mr.  Hill.  When 
intelligence  was  brought  to  him  of  the  venera- 
ble saint's  entrance  into  his  rest,  he  clasped 
his  hands  together,  and  cried,  "My  father,  my 
father!  Ah,"  he  continued,  as  his  eyes  filled 
with  tears,  "he  is  gone,  and  I  only  am  left  of 
all  the  early  friends  of  the  Southwark  Sabbath 
School  Society.  God  grant  that  like  him,  I 
may  be  faithful  to  the  end,  and  die  gloriously 
in  the  field."  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Hill,  the 
church  being  without  a  settled  pastor,  he 
joined   the    congregation   of  the    Rev.    John 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  193 

Arundel,   to  whose   ministry  he   was    greatly 
attached. 

When  the  cholera,  in  1833,  appeared  in 
London,  it  made  frightful  ravages  among  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Mint;  and  Mr.  C.  was  called 
out  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night.  It  is 
believed  by  his  family,  that  he  did  not  visit  less 
than  fifty  persons  who  were  afflicted  with  this 
dreadful  disease,  most  of  whom  were  objects 
of  great  wretchedness;  and  he  obtained  con- 
siderable sums  from  his  friends  for  their  relief. 
Some  of  these  poor  creatures  died  happy  in 
the  Lord;  but  many,  it  is  feared,  departed  into 
eternity,  without  experiencing  that  change  of 
heart,  without  which  no  man  can  see  the  Lord. 
One  person  whom  he  visited,  was  an  old  schol- 
ar, who  had  been  connected  with  one  of  the 
leading  infidels  in  London,  and  had  imbibed 
his  principles.  The  sight  of  Mr.  C.  seemed 
to  increase  his  anguish:  the  powerful  addresses 
he  had  heard  him  deliver,  came  to  his  mind, 
and  filled  him  with  unutterable  despair.  "I 
know,  sir,"  said  he,  "that  you  will  stand  at 
the  bar  of  God,  as  a  witness  against  me;  but  it 
is  now  too  late  to  repent."  All  the  endeavors 
of  his  old  teacher  to  bring  him  to  Christ  were 
unavailing;  he  died  full  of  enmity  to  God,  and 
cursing  the  miserable  day  on  which  he  had 
17 


194  MEMOIR     OF 

received  existence.  The  mind  of  Mr.  C.  was 
greatly  affected  at  this  incident;  and  he  made 
frequent  use  of  it  in  warning  young  persons 
from  associating  with  those  who  avoid  all  con- 
cern for  a  never-ending  hereafter. 

In  April,  1834,  Mr.  C.  was  called  to  resign 
his  wife  into  the  hands  of  him  from  whom  he 
had  received  her.  She  was  a  humble,  unob- 
trusive Christian.  She  seldom  left  her  home; 
and  her  greatest  earthly  delight  seemed  to 
consist  in  seconding  her  husband's  efforts  to 
relieve  the  poor  and  friendless.  Frequently, 
for  weeks  together,  she  has  sat  up  late  at 
night,  watching  the  soup-kettle,  and  has  re- 
turned early  in  the  morning,  before  the  fire 
was  extinguished,  to  the  same  occupation. 
Mr.  C.  bore  up  under  this  stroke  of  affliction, 
with  wonderful  fortitude  and  resignation:  he 
sorrowed,  indeed,  but  not  as  one  that  had  no 
hope.  Three  days  after  her  death,  he  wrote 
these  words  in  his  little  memorandum-book: 
"Oh,  who  can  be  a  substitute  for  my  dear 
wife?  My  children  are  loving  and  kind,  and 
so  are  my  friends — but  they  are  not  my  wife." 
And  shortly  after  her  funeral,  he  added,  "I 
have  buried  her  at  Collyers  Rents,  in  the  hope 
of  eternal  life;  and  I  trust  shortly  to  lie  by  her 
side,  till  the  resurrection  morn." 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  195 

As  he  was  now  in  his  seventy-seventh  year, 
and  required  that  care  and  attention,  which  it 
was  supposed  could  not  be  so  satisfactorily 
administered  by  strangers,  each  of  his  children, 
who  was  in  a  situation  to  do  so,  offered  him  a 
place  under  his  roof,  where  he  might  spend  the 
evening  of  his  days  in  comfort  and  peace. 
This  is  mentioned  merely  to  record  his  answer, 
which  is  everyway  characteristic  of  himself: — 
"I  feel  obliged  for  your  kindness;  but  as  you 
all  live  at  a  distance,  you  must  excuse  me 
from  accepting  your  invitation.  What  would 
the  poor  infants  do?  Could  I  bear  to  see  them 
rambling  about  the  streets,  like  sheep  having 
no  shepherd?  What  would  my  poor  and  afflict- 
ed neighbors  do?  and,  above  all,  what  should 
I  do?  I  should  soon  rust  out,  for  want  of  some 
active  employment;  and  I  am  too  old  now  to 
break  up  fresh  ground.  No,  no;  let  me  con- 
tinue in  that  sphere  where  I  still  may  be  made 
useful;  and  let  me  die  in  the  midst  of  those 
with  whom  I  have  spent  nearly  half  my  exist- 
ence. I  desire  to  live  no  longer  than  I  can 
be  made  useful  to  them."  Under  these  cir- 
cumstances, it  was  thought  advisable  that  his 
daughter,  who  was  then  occupying  a  situation 
in  the  family  of  the  Rev.  W.  Ellis,  should  come 
home,  and  attend  upon  her  father,  during  the 


196  MEMOIR      OF 

remainder  of  his  days,  so  that  he  might  still 
watch  over  the  temporal  and  spiritual  interests 
of  the  poor,  and  exercise  himself  in  his  delight- 
ful occupation  of  comforting  those  that  were 
cast  down;  of  supplying  the  wants  of  the  dis- 
tressed, and  of  pointing  them  to  that  land  of 
happiness  and  peace,  where  sorrow  and  sighing 
never  enter,  and  tears  are  for  ever  wiped  away. 

"Thus  to  relieve  the  wretched  was  his  pride, 
And  e'en  his  failings  leaned  to  virtue's  side  5 
But  in  his  duty  prompt  at  every  call, 
He  watched,  and  wept,  he  prayed,  and  felt  for  all : 
And  as  a  bird  each  fond  endearment  tries, 
To  tempt  its  new-fledged  offspring  to  the  skies  ; 
He  tried  each  art,  reproved  each  dull  delay, 
.Allured  to  brighter  worlds,  and  led  the  way." 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  197 

CHAPTER  IX. 

LAST  YEARS,  DEATH,  AND  FUNERAL  OF  MR.  CRANFIELD. 

When  the  evening  sun  finishes  his  daily 
race,  and  appears  to  rest  on  the  utmost  verge 
of  the  western  sky,  his  beams  not  only  become 
milder  and  more  glorious,  but  the  radiant  orb 
seems  to  increase  in  magnitude;  while  his 
lustre,  darting  horizontally  on  the  verdant 
fields  and  restless  floods,  produces  a  scene  of 
beauty  and  grandeur,  deeply  interesting  to  the 
mind  of  the  beholder.  But,  while  his  eyes  are 
gladdened  with  the  mild  splendor  of  the  retir- 
ing sun,  something  like  a  regret  steals  upon 
his  feelings,  while  reflecting  that  the  object  he 
beholds  will  shortly  retire  from  his  view,  in 
order  to  distribute  his  inexhaustible  beams 
among  countries  and  inhabitants  of  another 
hemisphere.  Such  is  the  Christian,  when 
about  to  take  his  departure  from  this  vale  of 
sorrow.  His  desires  after  God  become  in- 
creased and  enlarged:  the  graces  of  the 
Christian  character  shine  forth  in  him  with 
more  attractive  splendor,  and  dignify,  ennoble, 
and  elevate  his  mind.  The  consciousness  of 
17* 


198  MEMOIR     OF 

the  nearness  of  his  approach  to  the  eternal 
world,  gives  a  sobriety  to  his  thoughts,  a 
rationality  to  his  anticipations;  and  his  fellow- 
travellers,  being  animated  by  the  hopes  which 
he  enjoys,  are  enabled  to  go  on  their  way 
rejoicing.  So  was  it  with  Mr.  Cranfield. 
His  sun,  for  some  time  previous  to  his  depart- 
ure, appeared  evidently  to  be  gradually  going 
down;  and  it  was  with  delight  that  his  friends 
beheld  him  bringing  forth  fruit  in  extreme  old 
age.  Though  almost  eighty  years  had  passed 
over  his  venerable  head,  yet  his  activity  and 
usefulness  were  maintained  with  a  considerable 
degree  of  his  former  animation,  and  he  dif- 
fused life  and  bliss  through  the  circle  of  social 
intercourse;  while,  by  the  force  of  his  example, 
as  well  as  the  purity  of  his  doctrines,  he  led  on 
his  friends  to  the  verge  of  the  celestial  world. 
After  the  death  of  his  wife,  being  unable,  at 
times,  through  a  complaint  in  one  of  his  feet, 
to  visit  those  of  his  friends  who  lived  at  a 
distance,  he  held  a  weekly  prayer-meeting  at 
his  own  house,  at  which  he  delivered  a  short 
exhortation,  and  invited  his  friends  to  give 
their  sentiments  on  the  subject  of  his  address. 
These  meetings  were  productive  of  much  good; 
they  proved  instrumental  in  the  conversion  of 
some,  and  in  producing  a  higher  tone  of  spirit- 


THOMAS      CRANF1ELD.  199 

uality  in  the  hearts  of  others;  and  many  who, 
like  Hannah,  came  to  the  house  of  prayer  with 
their  souls  bowed  down  with  a  weight  of  sor- 
row, went  away  with  their  countenances  "no 
more  sad."  It  is  impossible  to  describe  the 
interest  which  these  meetings  excited;  the 
room  was  generally  crowded  with  the  poor  of  the 
neighborhood,  and  frequently  his  more  affluent 
friends  would  enliven  the  evening  with  their 
presence  and  conversation.  These  meetings 
were  held  every  Friday,  till  his  death,  and 
were  commonly  called  by  his  friends  "the 
lifting  nights." 

In  1836,  Mr.  Cranfield  hailed  with  delight- 
ful satisfaction,  the  appointment  of  the  Rev. 
James  Sherman  to  the  pastoral  charge  of  the 
church  at  Surrey  Chapel,  and  was  among  the 
first  to  have  his  name  re-enrolled  among  the 
members.  He  lost  no  time  in  making  known 
to  Mr.  S.  the  state  of  the  Southwark  .Sabbath 
School  Society,  which  then  consisted  of  twelve 
schools,  containing  about  two  thousand  six 
hundred  children,  and  also  solicited  his  pat- 
ronage for  the  infant  school,  in  the  Mint.  Mr. 
C.  was  much  encouraged  by  the  kind  recep- 
tion which  he  met,  and,  receiving  afterwards  a 
visit  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  S.  at  the  school,  he 
was  stimulated  to  increased  exertions  in  his 
useful  and  delightful  employment. 


200  MEMOIR      OF 

In  the  summer  of  1837,  he  was  much  pleased 
by  the  opening  of  a  large  school  in  the  Bo- 
rough-road, which  was  built  by  the  Southwark 
Society,  for  the  purpose  of  uniting  two  of  their 
schools  in  the  neighborhood,  then  in  a  dilapi- 
dated state.  Almost  every  day  he  walked  to 
the  spot  to  observe  the  progress  of  the  building, 
and  often  held  spiritual  converse  with  those 
who,  like  himself,  had  come  to  witness  the 
operations  of  the  workmen.  A  circumstance 
occurred  here  one  morning  of  so  interesting  a 
character,  that  he  returned  home,  and  wrote 
an  account  of  it  to  Mr.  Heward,  the  proposed 
superintendent  of  the  school.  The  following 
is  an  extract  from  his  letter: — 

"  June  13th,  1837. 

"Dear  Sir, — As  I  was  reviewing  the  out- 
side of  the  building  in  the  Borough-road  this 
morning,  at  seven  o'clock,  a  decent-looking 
man  came  up  to  me,  and  mentioned  my  name. 
I  did  not  know  him,  but  he  informed  me  that 
his  name  was  Burns,  and  that  it  was  near 
thirty  years  since  he  first  entered  the  Mint 
school,  being  then  about  seven  years  of  age. 
His  wife,  and  another  relative,  were  then 
scholars,  with  a  youth  named  Wilson,  all  of 
whom  I  recollect.     It  pleased  the   Lord,  after 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  201 

he  left  the  school,  to  incline  his  mind  to  attend 
the  means  of  grace  at  the  Wesleyan  Chapel, 
Lambeth,  where,  he  trusts,  he  was  savingly 
called.  Here  he  met  with  his  school-fellow, 
and  married  her,  and  both  are  members  of  the 
same  church.  He  informed  me  that  Wilson, 
after  he  left  the  school,  attended  Queen  street 
Chapel,  Lincoln's-Inn-Fields.  His  parents 
were  unconverted;  but  the  son  being  made 
acquainted  with  his  fallen  state,  and  brought 
to  the  knowledge  of  himself  as  a  sinner,  and 
of  the  way  of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ, 
eventually  became  a  preacher  of  the  gospel. 
Wilson  was  now  anxious  for  the  salvation  of 
his  parents,  and  requested  Burns  to  use  his 
endeavors  for  the  purpose  of  prevailing  on 
them  to  attend  the  chapel  at  Queen  street. 
This  he  did,  and,  with  much  difficulty  succeed- 
ed in  his  object;  but  what  was  the  surprise  of 
the  parents,  on  entering  the  chapel,  to  behold 
their  own  son  in  the  pulpit!  His  text  was, 
'By  one  man  sin  entered  into  the  world,'  &c. 
It  pleased  the  Lord  to  enable  them  to  see  and 
feel  the  guilt  and  misery  of  sin,  and  to  fly  to 
the  Saviour.  After  the  service,  they  returned 
to  Burns'  house,  and  in  about  two  hours  the 
son  joined  them.  Burns  says  such  a  scene 
followed  as  his  eyes  never  before  witnessed. 


202  MEMOIR      OF 

There  was  weeping  and  rejoicing  together, 
till  a  very  late  hour,  and  they  experienced  a 
heaven  of  joy  and  love.  Wilson  is  now  a 
missionary  in  Calcutta,  preaching  the  gospel 
among  the  heathen.  This  evening,  my  heart 
was  again  gladdened  by  the  information  of  a 
young  person  being  brought  to  the  knowledge 
of  Christ  through  a  prayer  offered  at  the 
school.  This  person  has  since  died  happy  in 
the  Lord. 

"I  close  this  with  my  heart  overpowered 
with  gratitude,  from  a  consideration  of  what 
my  eyes  and  ears  have  seen  and  heard,  of  the 
blessing  of  God  on  Sabbath  school  instruction. 
When  I  first  set  out,  Southwark  and  its  vicinity 
was  a  wilderness — the  place  of  dragons.  But 
what  do  my  eyes  behold  now?  'The  wilder- 
ness and  desolate  place  is  too  narrow  by 
reason  of  its  inhabitants.'  'Sing,  O  heavens, 
and  be  joyful,  O  earth,  and  break  forth  into 
singing,  O  mountains!  'Lift — lift — lift  up 
thine  eyes  round  about,  and,  behold,  all  these 
gather  together  and  come  to  thee:  (mark)  'As 
I  live,  saith  the  Lord,  thou  shalt  surely  clothe 
thee  with  them  all,  as  with  a  garment,'  (nay) 
ornament,  'and  bind  them  on  thee  as  a  bride 
doth.'  O,  for  faith,  to  credit  what  the  Lord 
saith!  I  see  that  I  am  blundering  on,  but  I 
know  to  whom  I  am  writing. 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  203 

"I  close  with  the  prayer  and  blessing  of  the 
high  priest — 'The  Lord  bless  thee,  and  keep 
thee;  the  Lord  make  his  face  to  shine  upon 
thee,  and  be  gracious  unto  thee;  and  lift  up 
his  countenance  upon  thee,  and  give  thee  and 
thine  peace.  "Thos.  Cranfield." 

As  the  day  for  opening  the  new  school 
approached,  Mr.  C.  evinced  uncommon  ani- 
mation, and  sent  round  to  a  number  of  friends 
an  invitation  to  meet  the  teachers  for 
prayer  on  the  occasion.  In  a  wrapper  con- 
taining some  particulars  respecting  the  forma- 
tion of  the  society,  which  he  forwarded  to  Mr. 
Heward,  he  makes  the  following  remarks: — 

"I  understand  it  will  be  your  endeavor  to 
bring  up  the  ark  into  your  building  with  prayer, 
at  six  o'clock.  A  temple  without  the  ark, 
would  be  like  a  house  without  an  inhabitant. 
There  is  every  thing,  both  in  the  structure 
and  furniture  of  our  divine  ark,  that  can 
sanctify  and  beautify  the  school;  and  from  this 
ark  alone,  all  future  success  must  flow.  May- 
God  own  and  accept  your  endeavors,  and  may 
your  meeting  be  attended  with  the  manifesta- 
tion of  his  glory!  O,  yes!  it  will;  for  those 
who  wait  on  the  Lord  in  the  ways  of  his 
appointment,  will  surely  receive  tokens  of  his 
special  favor." 


204  MEMOIR      OF 

After  the  opening  of  the  school,  Mr.  C. 
requested  to  have  a  select  class  of  elder  boys 
placed  under  his  care;  whom  he  might  so  in- 
struct as  to  prepare  them  for  the  work  of 
Sabbath  school  teaching.  His  request  was 
granted,  and,  on  entering  upon  this  employ- 
ment, he  took  each  of  his  scholars  on  one 
side,  and  explained  to  them,  individually,  the 
object  he  had  in  view  in  selecting  them  from 
the  other  boys,  and  informed  them  that  it 
was  his  intention  to  labor  with  them,  and  to 
pray  for  each  of  them  by  name,  till  they  all 
were  converted  to  God.  This  engage- 
ment was  fulfilled  with  delightful  zeal  and 
solicitude  up  to  the  very  last  Sabbath  he  was 
permitted  to  spend  on  earth:  and  there  is 
every  reason  to  believe,  that  in  one  or  two 
instances,  the  Lord  has  already  blessed  those 
labors,  and  answered  those  prayers. 

The  winter  of  1837  being  very  severe,  a 
powerful  appeal  was  made  from  the  pulpit 
by  the  Rev.  J.  Sherman,  at  Surrey  Chapel, 
for  the  relief  of  the  poor;  and  large  sums 
were  collected  for  their  use.  Mr.  C.  like- 
wise obtained  a  considerable  sum  for  the 
same  purpose;  and  though  he  acted,  in  some 
measure,  independently  of  the  friends  at  Sur- 
rey Chapel,  yet  they    assisted    him    much  in 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  205 

his  benevolent  object.  With  the  money  he 
thus  obtained,  he  purchased  rice,  sago,  and 
potatoes;  and  distributed  them  among  the  poor 
as  they  had  need. 

Strange  as  it  may  appear,  at  the  very  time 
he  was  thus  relieving  the  poor,  it  was  ascer- 
tained that  he  was  a  proper  object  for  relief 
himself.  A  friend  having  privately  intimated 
to  Mr.  Sherman  that  there  was  no  doubt  but 
a  pair  of  blankets  would  be  acceptable 
to  Mr.  Cranfield,  Mr.  S.  lost  no  time  in  in- 
quiring into  the  subject;  and  he  found  that 
his  information  was  correct,  for  Mr.  C,  a 
short  time  previously,  had  given  away  part  of 
his  bedding  to  a  poor  woman  that  was  lying-in. 
A  pair  of  blankets  were,  therefore,  instantly 
voted  by  the  committee  at  Surrey  Chapel  for 
his  use. 

During  the  frosty  weather,  Mr.  C.  seldom 
went  from  home  after  dark,  but  employed 
himself  in  studying  the  Scriptures,  writing 
catechisms  for  his  select  class,  and  instructing 
the  lads  occasionally  at  his  own  house.  Much 
of  his  time  was  likewise  occupied  in  writing 
short  sentences  on  slips  of  paper,  for  the 
edification  of  his  friends.  These  he  called 
his  "lottery  tickets."  He  always  carried  a 
considerable  number  with  him  in  his  pocket- 
18 


206  MEMOIR      OF 

book;  and  at  social  parties,  or  friendly  visits, 
his  friends  were  accustomed  to  draw  one 
from  the  packet,  and  take  it  home  for  private 
meditation.  The  following  are  selected  as 
specimens  of  his  tickets: — 

"Dear  friend,  there  is  a  large  estate  left 
you.  It  is  ratified,  signed,  and  sealed.  It 
is  certain,  if  you  can  make  out  your  relation- 
ship to  the  Testator,  by  a  living  faith.  Are 
you  a  son?  Then  you  are  a  partaker  of  the 
Divine  nature,  and  have  fellowship  with  the 
Father  and  the  Testator.  You  are  raised 
beyond  your  neighbors.  You  have  already 
entered  on  your  estate.  O,  how  powerful  is 
your  interest  and  your  prayers,  in  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  world.  'All  things  are  yours, 
ye  are  Christ's,  and  Christ  is  God's.' 

"Pray  for  Thos.  Cranfield." 

"Dear  friend,  beware  of  steel-traps  and 
spring-guns.  If  you  listen  to  the  suggestions 
of  the  creature,  however  disguised  by  fair 
speech,  rather  than  to  the  written  commands 
of  God,  you  will  be  ensnared  as  sure  as 
you  breathe.  Resist  the  devil,  and  he  will 
flee  from  you.  Remember  how  it  fared  with 
your  great-grandmother  Eve.      O,  I  tremble 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  207 

for   my   young   friends.      Live  close  to  God, 
and  you  will  be  safe." 

It  frequently  happened  that  the  subject  of 
these  papers  was  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  cir- 
cumstances or  state  of  mind  of  the  individuals 
receiving  them.  The  following  was  drawn  by 
the  driver  of  a  cab,  who  in  consequence  of 
his  vehicle  breaking  down  had  spent  the  even- 
ing at  the  prayer-meeting. 

"Friend,  you  are  invited  to  come  in  the 
chariot  of  love  with  Jesus;  he  will  manifest  his 
power  and  wealth,  and  will  convey  you  to  the 
heavenly  country.  He  will  conquer  all  that 
oppose.  His  promises  are  faithful  and  un- 
changeable. You  are  safe, — there  is  no  fear 
of  your  falling  out  of  his  conveyance.  In  this 
chariot,  how  sweetly,  how  safely,  how  quickly, 
I  ride  to  glory.    Hasten  the  time,  dear  Lord." 

The  last  one  he  wrote  was  to  this  effect: — 

"Dear  friend,  admire  the  love  of  your 
heavenly  Father  toward  you,  in  that  he  laid  his 
Son  on  the  altar  on  the  first  moment  of  his  in- 
carnation, Heb.  10:  5,  continued  him  thereon 
the  whole  of  his  life,  and  completed  it  on  the 
cross  and  in  the  grave.     Isa.  liii.     Christ  was 


208  MEMOIR      OF 

the  great  high  Priest,  Heb.  5:  5.  Meditate  on 
this  awful  transaction;  and  pray  for  Thomas 
Cranfield." 

These  little  papers  were  held  in  such  great 
request,  that  the  demand  could  scarcely  be 
supplied,  even  by  the  greater  portion  of  his 
leisure  time.  His  application  to  this  work  at 
length  became  so  great,  that  he  was  afraid 
it  impeded  his  usefulness  in  other  respects, 
and  he  therefore  determined  on  relinquishing 
it.  But  one  of  his  young  friends  having  de- 
scribed to  him  how  greatly  those  written  senti- 
ments had  been  blessed  to  her  soul,  many  of 
which  she  had  copied  and  distributed  among 
her  friends,  to  whom  also,  in  several  instances, 
they  had  been  made  a  blessing,  he  resolved  still 
to  continue  this  mode  of  conveying  instruction, 
but  to  confine  the  circulation  of  his  papers  to 
his  more  intimate  friends. 

Some  of  the  members  of  Surrey  Chapel  now 
considering  that,  from  his  advanced  age,  and 
the  high  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  the 
poor  of  the  mint,  he  was  calculated  to  be  more 
extensively  useful,  if  his  time  were  wholly  em- 
ployed in  visiting  and  relieving  the  sick  and 
afflicted,  formed  the  design  of  subscribing  to- 
gether, to  allow  him  ten  shillings  per  week,  to 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  209 

assist  him  in  this  object,  on  condition  that  he 
would  resign  the  charge  of  the  infant  school, 
and  devote  himself  entirely  to  it.  The  plan 
being  submitted  to  Mr.  Sherman  by  the  super- 
intendent of  the  Mint  school,  it  met  with  his 
cordial  approval,  and  by  his  kind  assistance 
it  was  speedily  carried  into  effect.  Mr.  C, 
however,  felt  some  reluctance  in  leaving  his 
youthful  flock,  but  under  the  circumstances  he 
considered  it  his  duty  to  comply  with  the  wishes 
of  his  friends;  and  having  taken  an  affectionate 
leave  of  the  dear  little  lambs,  whom  he  promised 
to  visit  occasionally  at  their  own  houses,  he 
employed  the  greater  portion  of  the  remainder 
of  his  days  in  the  delightful  work  of  administer- 
ing to  the  temporal  and  spiritual  necessities  of 
the  diseased  and  wretched. 

In  March,  1838,  Mr.  Cranfield  completed  his 
eightieth  year,  the  period  which  he  often  had 
intimated  his  wish  to  behold,  provided  he  might 
continue  till  then  useful  to  the  church  and  the 
world:  and  with  the  exception  of  his  left  hand, 
which  was  considerably  weakened,  his  frame 
remained  steady  and  his  limbs  strong,  insomuch 
that  on  errands  of  mercy  he  could  generally 
walk  a  mile  in  about  twenty  minutes.  The 
steadiness  with  which  he  wrote  was  remarked 
by  every  one ;  there  was  nothing  in  his  hand- 
18* 


210  MEMOIR     OF 

writing  that  would  have  led  a  stranger  to  sup- 
pose that  it  was  the  performance  of  a  man  of 
eighty.  As  was  his  physical,  so  was  also  his 
mental  and  spiritual  strength.  It  did  not  ap- 
pear in  the  slightest  degree  impaired.  His 
zeal,  his  perseverance,  his  knowledge  of  the 
Scriptures,  his  capacity  for  study,  and  his 
aptitude  in  leading  off  in  a  strain  of  useful  con- 
versation at  the  social  party,  were  as  great 
as  ever. 

In  the  following  summer,  his  activity  made 
him  a  wonder  to  many.  His  general  health 
appeared  to  be  much  improved,  and  he  was 
unweariedly  employed  in  doing  good:  omitting 
no  pains  to  alleviate  the  miseries  of  others,  and 
using  his  influence  with  his  friends,  not  for  the 
advancement  of  himself  or  family,  but  to  afford 
succor  to  the  afflicted  members  of  the  church  of 
Christ;  though  grace  taught  him  to  say,  "Not 
unto  me,  but  unto  thy  name  be  the  glory." 

Many  of  his  friends  now  urged  him  to  keep 
a  diary  of  his  experience  and  labors,  but  he 
replied,  that  such  a  document  would  savor  so 
much  of  self,  that  he  should  commit  it  to  the 
flames  if  he  should  write  it.  After  many  en- 
treaties, however,  in  which  his  family  united, 
he  at  length  consented,  but  could  not  be  induced 
by  any  persuasions,  to  continue  it  more  than  a 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  211 

week.  His  remarks  on  each  day's  proceedings 
are  so  extended,  that  only  an  extract  can  be 
given  to  the  reader. 

"Sabbath ,  June  17,  1838. — Arose  this  morn- 
ing at  three  o'clock;  feeling  myself  ill,  retired 
to  bed  again;  arose  at  five,  and  after  commu- 
nion with  my  Protector,  on  behalf  of  myself, 
family  and  friends,  proceeded  at  seven  o'clock 
to  Surrey  Chapel  in  the  spirit  of  prayer — par- 
took of  the  ordinance  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  I 
found  the  presence  of  the  Lord. — My  soul  more 
refreshed  than  at  any  season  for  many  years; 
Mr.  Sherman  administered  the  ordinance, — re- 
turned home,  and  at  breakfast  had  a  profitable 
conversation.  Read  the  seventh  chapter  of  the 
second  book  of  Chronicles, — had  a  good  time 
in  prayer.  Went  to  the  borough  school, — met 
with  Messrs.  Heward,  Churchill,  and  others. 
Mr.  Churchill  brought  to  my  mind  Boaz  visit- 
ing the  reapers.  I  then  proceeded  to  the  Mint 
school, — met  Mr.  Smith,  and  had  some  conver- 
sation on  the  genealogies  in  the  first  book  of 
Chronicles, — then  in  the  spirit  of  prayer  went 
to  Union  street  Chapel, — heard  a  stranger, — a 
most  solemn  sermon:  'What  shall  a  man  give  in 
exchange  for  his  soul?'     'As  ye  go,  preach.' 

"On  my  way  home,  I  passed  through  Red 
cross  street, — met  an  aged  woman  with  two  of 


212  MEMOIR      OF 

her  grand-children.     She  asked  me  how  I  did. 
I  replied,  In  good  health,  and  that  I  had  heard 
a  solemn  sermon  about  the  value  of  the  soul. 
Her  children  were  old  scholars;  they  attend  on 
the  means.     As  to  herself,  she  appeared  indif- 
ferent about  her  soul.     I  left  her  with  a  word 
of  exhortation.     After  this,  saw  one  of  the  pa- 
rents standing  at  the  shop  door,  exposing  her 
goods  for  sale;  this  woman  has  had  twenty  chil- 
dren, who  have  all  received  their  education  at 
the  Mint  school.     I  reproved  her  conduct,  and 
told  her  that  it  would  be  an  awful  thing  if  her 
children  should  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
and  she  herself  should   be  shut  out.     I  then 
called  upon  a  good  woman,  not   seeing  her  at 
chapel, — found  her  poorly,   and  spoke  to  her 
about   her   soul.      After    dinner   went   to   the 
Lodging  house.     On  the   road,  met  a  man  and 
his   wife    going    to   a   prayer-meeting, — asked 
them  of  the  welfare  of  their  souls, — found  them 
full  of  complaints.     Came  to  the  Mint  school, 
found  things   going   on   well.     Arrived  at  the 
Lodging  house, — heard  a  good  sermon  by  Mr. 
Forsyth,  from  Jer.  50:  5.     Went  to  the  Mint 
school,  and  addressed  the  children  on  the  three- 
fold office  of  Christ.     Took  tea  at  the  Borough 
road  school, — there  were  about  fifty  present, — 
Mr.  Heward  and  myself  addressed  the  company 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  213 

about  the  soul.  Returned  home, — conversed 
with  my  son  upon  the  priestly  office  of  Christ, 
— catechized  my  grand-children,  and  closed  the 
evening  with  singing  and  prayer.  This  was 
a  good  day,  and  profitable. 

"Monday,  18th. — Arose  before  five  o'clock. 
After  prayer,  meditated  on  the  book  of  Chron- 
icles; may  I  be  like  the  Kenites! — join  in  with 
the  children  of  God.  Had  a  good  time  in  family 
prayer.  After  breakfast  went  to  Westminster, 
and  on  my  return  a  decent  woman  accosted 
me,  who  was  an  old  scholar,  thirty  years  back! 
I  spoke  to  her  about  her  soul,  but  alas,  the 
world  and  its  business  had  carried  her  away 
after  things  that  do  not  profit; — said  to  her,  'It 
will  not  do,  Elizabeth;  Christ  or  damnation.' 
She  seemed  convinced  of  the  truth,  but  destitute 
of  the  power  to  close  in  with  the  Saviour.  She 
was  not  happy  in  her  mind,  and  said  she  fre- 
quently thought  of  the  instruction  she  had  re- 
ceived, and  the  prayer  I  had  offered  up  for  her. 
— Met  Mr.  Grainger,  another  old  scholar,  and 
talked  with  him.  After  tea,  went  to  the  prayer 
meeting  in  Surrey  Chapel,  had  a  good  time, — 
met  the  teachers  in  the  new  school  room,  about 
the  rules.     Returned  home  at  ten. 

"  Tuesday. — Got  up  at  five,  much  better, — 
meditated   again  on  the  book  of  Chronicles, 


214  MEMOIR      OF 

twenty-third  chapter.  At  prayer  I  had  one  of 
the  best  seasons  I  ever  enjoyed.  I  think  I 
never  had  such  a  view  of  the  divine  purity,  and 
the  utter  impossibility  of  our  praises  being  re- 
ceived without  a  change  of  nature;  and  even 
then  it  must  be  with  great  condescension  on 
the  part  of  God.  O  the  value  of  the  blood  of 
the  Saviour!  I  was  lost  in  the  view,  and  my 
mouth  shut.  Blessed  be  God  for  the  books  of 
Chronicles.  Visited  Miss  Fleming.  In  a  good 
frame  of  mind, — met  one  of  the  parents,  he 
seemed  to  be  overcome  with  gratitude  for  my 
attention  to  his  son,  of  whom  he  is  not  a  little 
proud.  Visited  the  Lodging  house  in  the  Mint, 
— things  are  going  on  there  as  well  as  can  be 
reasonably  expected.  Went  into  the  King's 
Bench  Prison,  and  visited  Mrs.  M.,  one  of  the 
parents  of  three  of  my  children.  Mrs.  M.  has 
been  a  prisoner  twenty-six  years, — still  find 
her  mind  dark  as  to  the  way  of  salvation  by 
Christ.  She  appears  distressed  on  account  of 
having  been  persuaded  by  the  minister  of  the 
prison  to  partake  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  Made 
several  other  visits,  and  in  the  evening  heard 
Mr.  Sherman  upon  the  forgiveness  of  sin,  and 
the  boundless  love  of  God  in  its  forgiveness.  I 
trust  I  came  home  profited.  Had  a  visit  to-day 
from  Mr.  Beal.  The  conversation  with  him 
and  my  son  was  spiritual  and  profitable. 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  215 

e<  Wednesday. — Arose  at  five,  in  good  health, 
— had  a  good  night,  my  cough  not  troublesome. 
Took  for  my  morning  draught  the  first  chapter 
of*  the  first  book  of  Chronicles.  The  descent 
from  Adam  to  Noah,  a  genealogy  of  about  1086 
years.  That  was  a  most  sinful  generation. 
Alas,  how  had  the  gold  become  dim!  Death 
reigned,  through  sin,  from  Adam  to  Noah. 
What  a  nothing  is  my  age  and  labor  compared 
to  my  forefathers!  Let  Enoch,  who  walked 
with  God,  or  rather  Jesus,  be  my  pattern. 
These  lessons  I  would  learn  from  this  chapter; 
first,  to  be  humble, — I  sprung  from  Adam; 
second,  to  love  my  neighbor  as  myself,  being 
of  one  blood ;  third,  how  short  are  the  years  of 
all  generations  compared  with  God  and  eter- 
nity; fourth,  how  wonderfully  trodden  is  the 
path  of  death, — what  multitudes  are  gone  be- 
fore me;  fifth,  how  vast  will  be  the  assembly 
in  the  great  day, — not  one  be  missing  then. 
After  breakfast  went  into  the  city, — kept  at 
home  in  the  afternoon,  on  account  of  the  rain, 
— took  tea  with  some  of  the  inmates  of  Mr. 
Hill's  lmshouses, — we  had  the  presence  of 
God  with  us,  and  a  most  blessed  season  it  was, 
— closed  with  prayer.  Went  to  Union  street 
Chapel, — heard  a  young  man,  from  Matt,  v, 
'Blessed  are  they  that  mourn,' &c.     My  foot 


216  MEMOIR      OF 

was  in  great  pain,  so  that  I  could  scarcely  walk 
home  without  help,  which  I  had  from  a  good 
woman  whom  I  knew  not,  but  was  known  to 
her, — we  had  some  profitable  conversation. 

"  Thursday. — Arose  before  seven, — found 
some  difficulty  in  prayer.  I  seemed  to  be  in  a 
strange  frame,  owing,  I  suppose,  to  my  increas- 
ing infirmities,  but  these  must  not  prevail  over 
the  new  man  of  the  heart.  Meditated  on  the 
second  chapter  of  Chronicles  again,  and  had 
new  light,  verse  five.  How  rare  to  find  four 
brothers  in  a  family  distinguished  for  wisdom 
and  grace!  God  seems  to  take  pleasure  in 
exalting  the  low,  and  abasing  that  which  is 
high.  At  family  worship,  read  the  second 
chapter  of  the  second  book  of  Chronicles. 
May  I  prefer  the  house  of  God  and  his  church 
to  my  own  accommodation!  Whatever  I  do 
for  God,  is  unworthy  of  his  regard.  I  had  a 
good  time  in  prayer,  with  strong  desires  after 
God,  and  complete  conformity  to  his  image.  I 
desire  to  put  all  my  affairs  into  his  hands. 

"Friday — After  dinner,  visited  Miss  Abra- 
hams. Had  along  and  delightful  conversation 
with  her  mother,  upon  the  subject  of  living  by 
faith  on  Christ  and  his  promises.  I  was  then 
introduced  to  her  daughter,  who  was  lying  on 
her  back,  in  which  posture  she  had  continued  a 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  217 

long  time,  being  afflicted  with  a  spinal  affection. 
Her  mind  appeared  calm,  and  she  seemed  to 
enjoy  much  of  the  presence  of  God;  drank  tea 
with  her,  and  in  the  evening  returned  home, 
and  conducted  our  weekly  prayer-meeting. 
Our  subject  was,  the  love  of  God.  O,  what 
love  is  this,  that  I  should  be  regenerated, 
adopted  into  his  family,  and  made  an  heir  of 
himself  and  all  the  blessings  of  the  new  cove- 
nant. O,  who  can  conceive  the  excellency  of 
their  station,  or  the  full  glory  that  is  annexed 
to  it!  May  I  have  the  witness  of  the  Spirit 
that  ere-long  I  shall  be  like  him, — may  this 
consideration  powerfully  influence  me  to  the 
study  of  holiness  of  heart  and  life.  We  enjoyed 
a  good  season. 

"Saturday. — Arose  at  seven  o'clock,  but, 
owing  to  the  pain  in  my  foot,  did  not  go  out 
the  whole  of  the  day.  My  mind  somewhat 
calm,  and  had  great  enjoyment  in  family  prayer. 
Studied  the  fifth  chapter  of  the  second  book  of 
Chronicles.  Here  we  have  an  account  of 
Reuben,  who  lost  his  birthright.  How  does 
sin  degrade  man,  and  what  reason  have  I  to 
be  humble  before  God  for  his  sparing  mercy! 
One  false  step  often  leaves  an  indelible  stain 
on  the  memory, — witness  Noah,  Lot,  Judah, 
Pavid,  and  others.  How  pregnant  is  sin  with 
19 


218  MEMOIR     OF 

evil!  how  is  it  attended  even  with  the  greatest 
mischief  to  our  temporal  as  well  as  to  our  eter- 
nal interest!  They  who  are  governed  more 
by  sense  than  by  faith,  in  their  choice  of  their 
settlement,  find  often,  when  it  is  too  late,  that 
they  have  made  a  very  disadvantageous  selec- 
tion." 

These  extracts,  although  only  a  small 
portion  of  what  he  wrote  in  his  diary,  will 
give  the  reader  a  general  view  of  the  manner 
in  which  his  time  was  every  day  employed. 

As  he  traveled  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
grave,  his  real  ripening  for  glory  was  mani- 
fested in  his  increasing  spirituality  of  mind, 
his  humility,  self-abasement  and  growing 
estimation  of  his  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ.  He  appeared  conscious  himself  that 
he  was  on  the  borders  of  eternity;  and  there 
was  a  power  and  sweetness  in  his  conversation 
on  the  ineffable  glories  of  the  beatific  vision, 
and  the  wonders  of  redeeming  grace,  that 
were  peculiarly  grateful  to  the  feelings  of  his 
Christian  friends.  To  spend  an  evening  with 
him,  was  like  heaven  on  earth.  A  glow  of  de- 
light seemed  to  animate  his  countenance,  as  he 
testified  his  confidence  in  God,  his  trust  in  his 
promises,  his  love  to  the  Saviour,  his  pantings 
after  a  conformity  to  his  image,  and  his  bright 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  219 

anticipations  of  that  day  when  he  should  wake 
in  his  likeness. 

All  his  thoughts  seemed  now  to  centre  in 
heaven,  and  he  could  not  bear  to  talk  upon 
any  other  than  serious  subjects.  He  engaged 
in  all  his  duties  with  an  earnestness  and  solem- 
nity, that  manifested  his  apprehension  that  it 
was  the  last  time  he  should  be  so  employed. 
He  always  entertained  the  idea,  that  his 
departure  would  be  sudden,  and  was,  therefore, 
careful  to  carry  some  cards  of  address  in  his 
pocket,  whenever  he  went  from  home.  Still 
his  mind  was  not  gloomy ;  on  the  contrary,  he 
was  cheerful  and  lively,  being  full  of  delightful 
hopes  of  a  blissful  immortality. 

About  six  weeks  previous  to  his  decease,  he 
attended  at  the  chapel  in  Collyer's  Rents,  and 
heard  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hunt.  After  the  service, 
he  retired  to  the  burial-ground,  and,  standing 
by  the  grave  where  his  wife  lay,  and  where  he 
intended  to  be  buried,  he  poured  forth  his 
heart  to  God  in  prayer,  that  the  address  to  be 
given  at  his  funeral  might  be  made  instrumental 
in  the  conversion  of  many  souls.  So  lost  was 
he  in  devotion  on  this  occasion,  that  he  appeared 
to  be  insensible  to  every  thing  that  was  trans- 
piring on  earth,  until  he  was  interrupted  by 
the  sexton,  and  given  to  understand  that  it  was 
time  for  him  to  retire. 


220  MEMOIR     OF 

At  the  old  scholars'  meeting  in  the  Mint, 
which  took  place  a  few  days  previous  to  his 
decease,  and  at  which  the  Rev.  J.  Sherman 
presided,  Mr.  Cranfield  was  peculiarly  solemn 
and  impressive;  he  told  the  scholars,  that,  in 
all  probability,  it  would  be  the  last  time  he 
should  meet  with  them  on  earth,  and  charged 
them  before  God  to  meet  him  at  the  right  hand 
of  the  Saviour.  At  this  meeting,  several  per- 
sons  publicly  declared  that  the  instructions  of 
Mr.  C.  were  made  the  means  of  leading  them 
to  embrace  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  A 
respectable  looking  female,  the  mother  of 
eight  daughters,  all  of  whom  had  been  educated 
in  the  school,  and  most  of  whom  were  then 
present  with  her,  stood  up  and  declared  how 
much  she  owed  to  him  for  the  comfort  and 
happiness  she  enjoyed  in  seeing  her  children 
walking  in  the  truth.  This  was  a  scene  which 
angels  might  have  witnessed  with  delight.  Mr. 
C.  returned  home  with  his  heart  filled  with 
gratitude  for  having  been  permitted  thus  to  see 
the  fruits  of  his  labor.  "Who  am  I,  O  Lord," 
he  said,  as  he  seated  himself  in  his  chair, 
"  and  what  am  I,  that  thou  shouldest  be  pleased 
thus  to  honor  me  ?  Now  lettest  thou  thy  ser- 
vant depart  in  peace,  for  mine  eyes  have  seen 
thy  salvation." 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  221 

At  the  meetings  for  the  revival  of  religion, 
at  Surrey  Chapel,  in  November,  1838,  he  was 
a  constant  attendant,  both  before  and  after 
breakfast.  His  feelings  appeared  to  be  greatly 
excited,  and  he  was  observed  to  be  more  fre- 
quent than  ever  at  the  throne  of  grace.  If  his 
daughter  went  out  on  an  errand,  she  generally, 
when  she  returned,  found  him  on  his  knees  in 
prayer;  sometimes  wrestling  with  God  for  a 
blessing  on  those  meetings,  and,  at  other  times, 
praying  that  he  might  not  have  a  name  to  live, 
and  be,  at  the  same  time,  like  the  lifeless  and 
barren  fig  tree,  fit  only  to  be  cut  down  and 
cast  into  the  fire.  When  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kirk* 
announced  his  intention  of  preaching  to  the 
children  of  the  Southwark  Sabbath  schools,  he 
spent  the  whole  night  in  prayer  that  God 
would  make  that  sermon  instrumental  in  the 
conversion  of  the  children.  Towards  the 
morning  he  had  about  an  hour's  sleep,  and 
then  rose  to  attend  the  seven  o'clock  prayer 
meeting. 

On  the  Friday  preceding  his  decease,  he 
conducted  his  own  prayer-meeting  as  usual,  and 
never  was  he  more  impressive;  his  voice  was 


"Rev.  E.  N.  Kirk,  now  pastor  of  Mount  Vernon  Church, 
Boston,  Mass. 

19* 


222  MEMOIR     OF 

as  full  and  as  strong  as  ever,  and  he  displayed 
an  intensity  of  feeling,  and  spoke  with  an  au- 
thority and  power,  which  led  many  present  to 
believe  that  his  labors  were  about  to  termi- 
nate. The  fervor  with  which  he  repeated  his 
following  favorite  lines  will  perhaps  never  be 
forgotten  by  them  while  memory  holds  her 
office. 

"Away,  despair,  my  gracious  Lord  doth  hear : 
Though  winds  and  waves  assault  my  keel, 

He  doth  preserve  it ;  he  doth  steer, 
Even  when  the  boat  seems  most  to  reel : 

Storms  are  the  triumph  of  his  art ; 

Well  may  he  close  his  eyes,  but  not  his  heart/' 

It  was,  indeed,  good  to  be  there.  It  appeared 
to  be  "none  other  than  the  house  of  God,  and 
the  gate  of  heaven." 

On  the  following  Sabbath,  he  arose  before  it 
was  light,  and  was  heard  as  usual  in  prayer  at 
a  very  early  hour.  When  his  daughter  came 
into  the  room  she  observed,  that  she  was  afraid 
that  his  getting  up  so  early,  while  the  weather 
continued  cold,  would  be  attended  with  serious 
consequences  to  himself.  "I  must  get  up 
early,"  he  replied;  "see" — pointing  to  a  list 
of  his  friends,  that  was  at  the  side  of  his  bed, 
for  whom  he  was  accustomed  to  pray  every 
mornin°: — "  see  what  a  deal  of  work  I  have  to 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  223 

do!"  This  list  he  was  in  the  habit  of  renewing 
occasionally,  and  it  was  headed  in  the  following 
manner: — 

"  Thomas  Cranficld, — 'pray  for  ?«.'  " 


"  Lord,  in  the  morning  thou  shalt  hear 
My  voice  ascending  high." 

"First, — For  my  Son  and  Daughters,  and  their  little 
ones." 

Then  follow  the  pastors  of  Surrey  and  Union 
street  Chapels,  with  a  list  of  twenty  friends. 
He  attended  public  worship  in  the  morning 
at  Mr.  Arundel's,  and  in  the  afternoon  at  the 
Lodging-house;  he  then  took  tea  with  the 
teachers  at  Gravel-lane  Sabbath  school,  where 
his  conversation  was  peculiarly  edifying  and 
instructive.  In  endeavoring  to  impress  on 
their  minds  the  importance  of  prayer,  among 
other  things,  he  said,  "The  prayer  of  faith 
can  never  be  offered  in  vain.  God  will  always 
hear  prayer, — I  will  take  my  oath  of  it."  Mr. 
Heward  having  announced  that  a  tea-meeting 
would  be  held  on  the  following  Sabbath,  and 
invited  those  present  to  attend,  clapped  Mr.  C. 
on  the  shoulder,  and  said,  "I  know  my  old 
friend  will  be  there."  "No,"  he  replied,  "  I 
may  be  in  eternity  then." 


224  MEMOIR     OF 

Early  on  Monday,  Nov.  26th,  he  was  again 
at  the  throne  of  grace,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  a 
peculiar  flow  of  spirits.  On  washing  himself, 
he  sang  with  a  strong  voice,  as  was  his  usual 
custom, 

"  O  wash  my  soul  from  every  sin, 
And  make  my  guilty  conscience  clean." 

He  observed  to  his  daughter,  "  I  have  a  rare 
week's  work  lo  do.  I  have  a  great  number  of 
friends  to  visit,  and  am  going  round  the  neigh- 
borhood to  canvass  for  scholars  for  the  Borough 
road  school."  After  breakfast,  having  de- 
signed to  make  a  few  visits  on  the  other  side 
of  the  water,  he  folded  up  a  bundle  of  tracts 
for  distribution  on  the  road;  and  on  putting  on 
his  hat,  he  repeated,  as  he  usually  did  every 
morning,  when  about  to  leave  his  home,  the 
well-known  lines, — 

"  Thy  work  with  pleasure,  O  my  God, 
Again  will  I  pursue  : 
And  spread  the  savor  of  thy  name, 
Among  a  careless  few." 

The  first  person  he  called  upon  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Mr.  Arundel's  church,  in  the  city,  with 
whom  he  had  a  long  and  delightful  conversation. 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  225 

From  thence  he  went  to  Hackney,  and  visited 
a  member  of  Dr.  Cox's  church,  and  also  two 
poor  afflicted  persons  in  the  neighborhood. 
To  one  of  them  he  took  a  piece  of  meat,  with 
some  herbs,  to  make  her  a  little  broth;  and  as 
she  could  not  assist  herself,  he  put  it  in  the 
saucepan,  and  placed  it  on  the  fire  for  her. 
From  thence  he  proceeded  to  Hoxton,  and 
examined  the  children  of  a  school  there. 
From  this  place  he  went  to  Smithfield,  and 
visited  his  youngest  daughter.  As  he  stood, 
with  his  hat  in  his  hand,  ready  to  take  his 
departure  from  thence,  he  said,  "I  have  been 
living  near  to  God  all  this  day,  and  I  wish,  like 
Enoch,  so  to  walk  with  him,  as  that  I  may  just 
take  one  step  into  heaven.  Do  not  be  long 
before  you  see  me,  for  if  you  do,  you  will 
come  home,  and  find  that  your  poor  old  father 
has  stepped  into  his  rest."  In  the  same  calm 
and  happy  frame  he  returned  to  his  home,  and 
sat  up  late,  conversing  on  the  subject  of  the 
atonement.  "This  is  delightful  employment," 
he  said,  "I  could  sit  up  all  night,  and  talk  on 
this  subject,  but  it  is  our  duty  to  rest  our  poor 
bodies." 

After  retiring  to  rest,  he  seemed  to  sleep 
soundly,  and,  to  all  appearance,  was  in  perfect 
health;  but  about  four  o'clock  in  the  morning, 


226  MEMOIR     OF 

he  awoke  with  a  difficulty  of  breathing,  and 
knocked  for  his  daughter.  On  her  entering 
the  room,  he  said,  "It  is  all  over,  my  girl;  I 
am  going  home  at  last.  The  Lord  grant  me 
strength  and  patience."  On  looking  at  his 
countenance,  she  was  greatly  alarmed  to  find 
it  strangely  altered,  and  asked  him  if  she 
should  make  a  cup  of  coffee?  "Do,"  he  calmly 
said;  "but  my  work  is  done,  and  I  am  now, 
blessed  be  God,  going  home  at  last."  His 
difficulty  of  breathing  increasing,  he  reclined 
his  head  upon  her  shoulder,  and  soon  became 
insensible.  On  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Newth,  his 
medical  attendant,  he  was  bled,  and  his  senses 
returned  for  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Mr. 
Newth  asked  if  he  should  pray  with  him, 
he  replied,  "Yes,  do,  by  all  means,"  and  ad- 
ded a  hearty  amen  to  every  petition.  Anxious 
to  know  the  state  of  his  mind,  his  son,  who  had 
by  this  time  entered  the  room,  said  to  him,  "  It 
is  a  great  mercy  to  have  an  earthly  doctor,  but 
the  heavenly  Physician  is  he  whose  presence 
is  most  desirable  now."  "That  is  it,"  he 
replied,  "that  is  it.  He  is  everything."  Not 
knowing  who  it  was  that  spoke  to  him,  for  his 
eyes  remained  closed,  he  said,  "Is  my  son 
Richard  in  the  room?  "  and,  on  being  informed 
that  it  was  he  who  was  talking  with  him,  he 


THOMAS     CRANF1ELD.  227 

added,  "The  Lord  bless  you;  the  Lord  place 
underneath  you  his  everlasting  arms,  and 
support  you  through  your  trials.  Dying  is 
hard  work,  my  boy  " — alluding  to  his  difficulty 
of  breathing.  He  was  then  reminded  of  his 
favorite  lines — 

"  I  can  do  all  things,  or  can  bear 
All  sufferings,  if  my  Lord  be  there." 

A  smile  instantly  brightened  up  his  features, 
and  he  replied,  "That  is  a  truth;  I  know  it, 
both  in  the  practice  and  experience  of  it."  To 
his  daughter  and  medical  attendant  he  said, 
"You  have  done  what  you  can,  and  I  thank 
you;  but,"  he  added,  with  a  significant  shake 
of  the  head,  "it  will  not  do;  no,  it  will  not 
do:"  and  on  their  endeavoring  to  raise  his 
head  a  little  higher,  in  order  to  relieve  his 
breathing,  he  said,  with  a  smile,  "Ah,  you  may 
prop,  but  it  will  not  do."  Shortly  afterwards, 
he  added,  with  a  glow  of  sacred  delight,  "A 

few  more  sighs,  and  then ." 

These  words,  though  spoken  in  a  strong  tone 
of  voice,  interrupted  only  by  the  accumulation 
of  phlegm,  were  the  last  that  he  uttered;  for 
immediately  afterwards,  he  fell  into  a  kind  of 
sound  slumber,  in  which  he  continued  until  the 
evening  of  the   following  day,  when,  without 


228  MEMOIR     OF 

the  slightest  struggle  or  motion  of  any  kind, 
he  suddenly  ceased  to  breathe,  and  his  spirit 
winged  its  way  to  those  mansions  of  eternal 
light  and  glory,  "where  the  sun  no  more  goes 
down,  nor  the  moon  withdraws  herself;  where 
the  Lord  is  his  everlasting  light,  and  the  days 
of  his  mourning  are  ended."  A  solemn  and 
painful  silence  ensued,  till  it  was  at  length 
broken  by  his  eldest  daughter,  who,  in  hurried 
and  stifled  accents,  seeking  relief  from  her 
own  overpowered  feelings,  exclaimed,  "We 
have  no  father  now!"  But  the  strong  con- 
viction that  he  was  rejoicing  amidst  the  glories 
of  the  unseen  world,  was  felt  by  all,  and  greatly 
relieved  the  anguish  of  their  souls. 

In  contemplating  his  peaceful  departure,  we 
may  exclaim  with  the  poet, — 

"  How  calm  his  exit . 
Night-dews  fall  not  more  gently  to  the  ground. 
Nor  weary  worn  out  winds  expire  so  soft. 
Behold  him  in  the  evening-tide  of  life, — 
A  life  well  spent,  whose  early  care  it  was 
His  riper  years  should  not  upbraid  his  green. 
By  unperceived  degrees  he  wears  away, 
Yet,  like  the  sun,  seems  larger  at  its  setting. 
High  in  his  faith  and  hope,  look  how  he  reaches 
After  the  prize  in  view,  and,  like  a  bird 
That 's  hampered,  struggles  hard  to  get  away. 

O  how  he  longs 

To  have  his  passport  signed,  and  be  dismissed. 
;Tis  done,  and  now  he's  happy." 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  229 

During  the  two  days  that  he  lay  ill,  many 
members  of  Surrey  Chapel,  Union  street,  and 
other  congregations,  came  to  take  a  final  fare- 
well of  their  dying  friend:  all  were  admitted, 
without  distinction,  to  witness  his  peaceful  end ; 
but  as  he  was  unconscious  of  their  presence, 
they  could  do  no  more  than  gaze  upon  his 
happy  countenance,  and  join  in  prayer  for  his 
easy  dismission  from  his  earthly  tabernacle. 
"Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behold  the  up- 
right," involuntarily  burst  from  the  lips  of 
almost  every  visiter;  "  for  the  end  of  that  man 
is  peace."  Thus  died  this  aged  servant  of 
Christ,  who,  for  fifty-five  years,  was  unwea- 
riedly  employed  in  doing  good. 

"  Burning  with  love  to  souls 
Unquenchable,  and  mindful  still  of  his 
Great  change  and  vast  responsibility/' 

he  appeared  to  live  for  no  other  purpose  than 
to  promote  the  present  and  eternal  happiness 
of  his  fellow-men. 

The  report  of  his  death  was  soon  spread 
through  the  neighborhood,  and,  though  it 
excited  but  little  astonishment,  yet,  when  it 
was  announced,  it  gave  a  sudden  shock  to 
almost  every  mind.  He  had  endeared  himself 
to  his  neighbors  and  friends  by  so  many  acts 
20 


230  MEMOIR     OF 

of  kindness,  that  they  wept  for  him  as  for  a 
father;  and  even  those  who  were  enemies  to 
God  by  wicked  works,  concurred  in  paying  a 
just  tribute  to  his  memory.  From  the  period 
of  his  death  till  the  time  of  his  interment, 
upwards  of  six  hundred  persons  came  to  take 
a  last  view  of  the  venerable  saint;  and  of  these, 
it  is  supposed,  that  not  less  than  from  two  to 
three  hundred  declared  that  they  had  received 
some  benefit  from  his  labors  to  their  souls. 
The  expressions  of  regret  and  sorrow  that 
were  uttered  by  these  numerous  visiters,  were 
truly  affecting.  One,  drawing  back  her  shawl, 
would  show  the  garment  that  he  had  obtained, 
for  her  decent  appearance  at  the  house  of  God; 
and  another  would  tell  the  tale  of  distress, 
from  which  his  benevolence  had  rescued  her. 

"  I  was  hungry,"  said  one,  "  and  he  fed  me. 
Oftentimes  should  I  have  gone  without  a  dinner, 
if  he  had  not  supplied  me  with  rice  and  sago." 
"Ah,"  repeated  a  second,  'I  shall  never  for- 
get him;  I  invited  him  to  spend  an  hour  at  my 
house,  and  he  turned  his  visit  into  a  prayer 
meeting,  which  has  been  continued  ever  since." 
"I  was  in  prison,"  said  a  third,  "and  he 
visited  me.  When  confined  in  the  Marshalsea, 
I  wrote  that  passage  on  a  piece  of  paper,  and 
sent  it  to  him;   and  before  the  messenger  could 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  23 1 

return,  he  was  at  my  side.  The  moment  he 
entered  my  room,  he  asked  for  my  Bible;  on 
telling  him  that  I  had  none  with  me,  he  imme- 
diately went  out  and  purchased  one,  and  then 
gave  me  his  spectacles,  to  assist  me  in  reading 
it.  These  spectacles  I  have  now  in  my  pos- 
session, and  will  never  part  with  them  while  I 
live.  The  Bible  was  given,  at  his  own  request, 
to  a  prisoner  whom  I  left  behind,  and  is  pre- 
served by  him  with  the  greatest  care."  Most 
persons  had  something  to  tell  respecting  his 
deeds  of  mercy,  and  all  united  in  saying,  "I 
have  lost  a  friend." 

On  Wednesday,  Dec.  5th,  1838,  his  mortal 
remains  were  conveyed  to  Collyer's  Rents 
burial-ground,  followed  by  a  multitude  of 
weeping  friends.  The  teachers  of  the  Mint 
school,  in  which  he  had  labored  for  so  many 
years,  claimed  the  privilege  of  bearing  his 
pall;  and  those  of  the  other  schools  seemed  to 
vie  with  each  other  in  exhibiting  their  respect 
for  his  memory. 

The  funeral  procession,  followed  by  a  vast 
concourse  of  spectators,  proceeded  in  the 
following  order: — 

Porters. 

Two  old  Female  Teachers. 

Fifty  Girls. 

Two  Female  Teachers. 


232  MEMOIR     OF 

Two  Male  Teachers. 

Thirty  Boys. 

Two  Male  Teachers. 

Two  Female  Teachers. 

Forty  Girls. 

Two  Male  Teachers. 

Two  Female  Teachers. 

Rev.  Mr.  Sherman  and  Rev.  Mr.  Arundel. 

Treasurer  of  the  Society — Oldest  Superintendent. 

An  Elder  of  Surrey  Chapel — Medical  Attendant. 

p  Two  Porters.  '-a 

g  g  Three  Stewards  &  $ 

ja  |     (Of  a  Benefit  Society  established  by  the     bj  § 

§ W  Deceased.)  $  if 

£j^  THE     BODY.  g   g 

p^  Relations  of  the  Deceased.  3  "" 

Teachers  of  Surrey  Chapel  School. 

Teachers  of  Kent  street. 

Teachers  of  the  Mint. 

Teachers  of  Borough. 

Teachers  of  Borough  road. 

Teachers  of  Castle-yard. 

Teachers  of  Dockhead. 

Teachers  of  Jurston  street. 

Teachers  of  Bond  street. 

Teachers  of  County-terrace. 

Teachers  of  Gravel -lane. 

Long  Train  of  Friends. 

The  body  was  taken  into  the  meeting-house, 
which  was  immediately  filled,  and  hundreds 
went  away  unable  to  gain  admission.  After 
an  appropriate  hymn,  the  Rev.  J.  Arundel 
offered  up  a  very  suitable  prayer,  and  the  Rev. 
J.  Sherman  addressed  the  friends  and  specta- 
tors from  the  words,  "Our  friend  Lazarus 
sleepeth."     The  address  excited  intense  inter- 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  233 

est.  It  was  marked  with  deep  pathos,  and 
faithful  and  affectionate  admonition.  After 
concluding  with  prayer,  the  body  was  removed 
to  the  ground,  and  deposited  in  the  grave  till 
the  resurrection.  After  a  few  observations 
from  Mr.  He  ward,  made  at  the  request  of  the 
deceased,  Mr.  Cranfield's  select  class  of  youth 
sung  an  appropriate  hymn,  and  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Sherman  prayed,  and  pronounced  the  bene- 
diction. The  ground  was  crowded  to  excess, 
and  the  lamentations  of  the  poor  were  as  the 
mourning  of  the  Canaanites  at  the  burial  of 
the  patriarch  Jacob. 

On  the  following  Sabbath,  several  sermons 
were  preached,  to  improve  his  death.  In  the 
morning,  the  Rev.  J.  Arundel  delivered  a 
deeply  interesting  and  instructive  discourse, 
to  a  crowded  audience  from  Isaiah  46:  4; 
"And  even  to  your  old  age  I  am  he,  and  even 
to  hoar  hairs  will  I  carry  you;  I  have  made, 
and  I  will  bear;  even  I  will  carry,  and  deliver 
you/'  In  the  afternoon,  at  the  Mint  school,  a 
friend  discoursed  from  Gen.  46:  1;  "Behold, 
I  die."  The  same  afternoon,  at  the  Lodging- 
house,  the  inmates  were  addressed  by  two 
friends,  from  Phil.  1:  21,  and  Ps.  12:  1,  2,  3. 
In  the  evening,  at  Surrey  Chapel,  the  Rev. 
J.  Sherman  preached  from  2  Cor.  6:  10; 
20* 


234  MEMOIR     OF 

"Poor,  yet  making  many  rich."  This  text 
was  most  judiciously  selected,  and  the  sermon, 
which  has  since  been  published  by  Mr.  S.,  was 
listened  to  throughout  with  the  most  profound 
attention.  During  the  service,  Pope's  cele- 
brated ode  of  "The  Dying  Christian  to  his 
Soul,"  and  Martin  Luther's  Hymn,  were  sung, 
by  the  immense  assembly,  with  the  most  thrill- 
ing effect.  The  chapel  was  crowded  at  an 
early  hour,  and  vast  numbers,  many  of  whom 
came  from  a  considerable  distance,  were  dis- 
appointed at  not  being  able  to  gain  admission. 
The  same  evening,  an  agent  of  the  Surrey 
Chapel  Christian  Instruction  Society,  preached 
from  Phil.  1 :  21,  at  the  Mint  school,  the  pulpit 
of  which  was  hung  with  black  cloth. 

Such  were  the  respect  and  sympathy  mani- 
fested upon  the  removal  of  this  devoted  man 
to  his  last  earthly  home.  "The  memory  of  the 
just  is  blessed,"  says  the  wise  man;  and  never 
was  the  truth  of  this  Scripture  more  clearly 
and  interestingly  illustrated  than  at  the  funeral 
of  Thomas  Cranfield.  May  those  devoted  men 
who  have  entered  into  his  labors,  imitate  his 
zeal,  and,  like  him,  adopt  the  maxim  of  the 
apostle — "Whether  we  live,  we  live  unto  the 
Lord;  and  whether  we  die,  we  die  unto  the 
Lord:  whether  we  live,  therefore,  or  die,  we 
are  the  Lord's." 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  235 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  PERSON  AND  CHARACTER  OF  MR.  CRANFIELD. 

Having  sketched  the  principal  incidents 
connected  with  the  life  and  death  of  Mr. 
Cranfield,  it  would,  perhaps,  be  desirable 
to  give  a  more  detailed  description  of  such 
features  in  his  character  as  have  only  been 
slightly  portrayed  in  the  foregoing  chapter. 

In  his  person  he  was,  in  his  younger  days 
tall  and  commanding,  though,  towards  the  end 
of  his  life,  his  stature  was  somewhat  diminished, 
by  reason  of  ''the  strong  men  bowing  them- 
selves," as  well  as  of  a  slight  bend  in  his 
figure.  He  was  stout  and  strongly  built, 
though  by  no  means  corpulent;  and  his  coun- 
tenance, even  in  his  old  age,  was  open,  florid, 
full  of  benignity,  and  altogether  prepossessing. 
Several  persons  have  declared  to  his  family, 
that  they  loved  him  the  first  time  they  saw  him, 
because  he  looked  so  amiable  and  happy. 
This  respect  and  attachment  were  always 
increased  upon  further  acquaintance,  as  he 
was  affable,  obliging,  complacent,  and  seldom 
conversed  without  some  good  object  in  view. 


236  MEMOIR     OF 

He  was  a  man  of  extraordinary  courage  and 
intrepidity.  He  appeared  to  be  void  of  fear, 
and  often  entered  into  places  where  few  would 
like  to  follow  him.  One  day,  being  in  the 
Mint  canvassing  for  scholars,  he  found  a  family 
living  on  the  wages  of  iniquity,  furnished  by 
two  daughters,  one  nine,  and  the  other  eleven, 
years  of  age.  He  invited  them  to  come  to  the 
school,  to  which  they  seemed  inclined,  but  the 
mother  positively  refused  her  permission.  Mr. 
C,  stung  with  indignation  at  the  conduct  of 
the  woman,  cried  out,  "What!  are  not  your 
children  going  to  hell  fast  enough,  that  you 
must  drive  them  there?"  and  though  there 
were  two  stout  men  in  the  room,  he  lifted  up 
his  hand  to  the  woman,  and  said,  "Woe  be 
to  you,  madam,  if  you  do  not  let  your  chil- 
dren go  to  the  Sabbath  school."  Such  was 
his  energy,  and  such  his  indignant  look,  that 
the  men  stood  mute  with  astonishment;  the 
woman  trembled,  and,  to  the  surprise  of  even 
Mr.  C.  himself,  the  children  were  afterwards 
sent  to  the  school. 

Wherever  he  had  to  travel,  he  always  took 
the  shortest  road  however  lonely  or  dangerous, 
and  the  fears  of  his  family  were  thereby  con- 
stantly excited  on  his  behalf.  About  the  year 
1793,  when  proceeding  through  a  dark  narrow 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  237 

lane,  near  Holywell  Mount,  he  was  met  by  a 
highwayman,  who  presented  a  pistol  at  his 
head;  but  Mr.  C,  previously  guessing  his 
intention,  had  prepared  himself  for  the  attack, 
and  going  boldly  up  to  the  man,  hastily  seized 
his  arm,  before  he  could  fire  upon  him,  he, 
by  a  single  stroke,  leveled  him  to  the  ground, 
and  scattered  the  pistols  to  a  distance.  See- 
ing his  antagonist  fall,  and  judging  that  no 
benefit  could  arise  from  any  further  contest, 
he  passed  from  him  at  full  speed,  and  then 
challenged  him  to  overtake  him  if  he  could. 
At  another  time,  returning  from  Barking,  with  a 
considerable  sum  of  money  in  his  possession, 
he  discovered  two  men  with  pistols  secreting 
themselves  in  a  hedge.  He  immediately  com- 
mended himself  into  the  hands  of  God,  and 
these  words  came  into  his  mind — "He  shall 
give  his  angels  charge  concerning  thee,  to 
keep  thee."  He  then  went  fearlessly  towards 
the  hiding-place,  crying  out,  "Come  on,  Tom! 
come  on,  Bob!"  as  though  he  had  several  com- 
panions with  him;  but  before  he  could  get  to 
the  spot,  he  saw  the  robbers  making  their 
escape. 

In  his  younger  days,  he  was  a  man  of  extra- 
ordinary strength;  his  muscular  powers  were 
so  great,  that,  upon  an  emergency,  he  has  sup- 


238  MEMOIR     OF 

ported  a  weight  which  six  ordinary  men  could 
not,  without  great  difficulty,  sustain;  and  yet 
so  far  from  priding  himself  upon  his  astonishing 
powers  of  body,  he  never  was  known  to  make 
it  a  subject  of  conversation,  either  at  home  or 
abroad. 

Notwithstanding  his  strength,  Mr.  C.  was 
accustomed  to  endiwe  injuries  with  great  pa- 
tience and  forbearance.  Once,  when  a  man 
was  wrongfully  insulting  him,  and  drawing  his 
character  in  most  odious  colors,  he  calmly 
said  to  him,  "Well,  I  am  exceedingly  obliged 
to  you  for  the  very  good  opinion  you  have  of 
me;  but  if  you  try  your  utmost  you  cannot 
paint  my  character  so  black  as  it  is."  At 
another  time,  a  thief  having  entered  his  house, 
and  stole  some  trifling  articles,  he,  not  knowing 
what  it  was  that  the  thief  had  taken,  pursued 
and  overtook  him.  As  the  magistrates  were 
then  sitting  at  Union-hall,  he  took  him  straight 
to  the  office,  and  the  offender  was  about  to  be 
committed  for  trial,  when  Mr.  C.  relented,  and 
begged  for  some  mild  punishment.  He  was 
then  remanded  for  a  short  time,  and  Mr.  C. 
visited  him  in  gaol,  supplied  him  with  some 
food,  and,  on  the  third  day  of  his  confinement, 
procured  his  discharge,  and  gave  him  half-a- 
crown. 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  239 

Humility  was  a  distinguishing  feature  in  the 
character  of  Mr.  Cranfield.  "Humility,"  says 
an  elegant  writer,  "is  the  sweetest  and  fairest 
flower  that  grows  in  the  breast,  and  perfumes 
the  owner  with  the  most  attractive  sweets." 
How  delightfully  were  its  beauties  displayed  in 
him,  and  how  extensively  were  its  influences 
felt  and  acknowledged.  Hence  arose  that  love 
and  respect  which  was  so  universally  enter- 
tained for  him.  It  has  been  often  remarked 
by  his  friends,  that  scarcely  any  person  could 
be  an  hour  in  his  company  without  loving  him; 
yet  no  one  could  be  more  loud  in  the  con- 
demnation of  himself,  or  speak  in  stronger 
terms  of  the  pride  of  his  own  heart.  The  acute 
sense  he  had  of  the  evil  of  sin  greatly  cherished 
this  feeling  of  humility :  for  in  proportion  to  the 
views  we  have  of  the  majesty  and  holiness  of 
God,  of  our  dependence  upon  him,  and  our 
obligations  to  him,  as  creatures,  our  conduct 
and  disposition  towards  him  as  sinners,  com- 
bined with  a  sense  of  his  pardoning  love,  and 
our  acceptance  in  the  beloved,  will  be  the 
measure  of  our  humility.  In  Mr.  Cranfield 
these  views  were  strong  and  habitual,  and  that 
humble,  contrite  frame  of  spirit,  in  which  the 
Lord  delights,  seemed  almost  as  natural  to 
him  as  his  breathing.     It  is  easy  to  say,  "I  am 


240  MEMOIR     OF 

a  poor  unworthy  creature;"  but  the  man  who 
really  feels  himself  to  be  such,  will  prove  that 
he  is  humble  before  God  by  submission  to  his 
will,  and  by  a  meek  and  unassuming  deport- 
ment towards  his  fellow-creatures.  This  was 
eminently  the  case  in  the  conduct  of  Mr.  C. 
He  had  a  deep  and  thorough  conviction  of  sin, 
of  his  own  unworthiness  before  God,  and  of  his 
obligation  to  the  Saviour;  so  that  in  his  suppli- 
cations at  the  throne  of  grace,  though  he  always 
used  strong  language,  he  was  ever  at  a  loss  for 
words  to  express  his  own  ideas  of  the  deformity 
of  sin,  and  the  excellencies  of  Christ. 

Another  amiable  trait  in  the  character  of 
Mr.  Cranfield,  was  his  lively  feeling  of  gratitude 
for  mercies  received.  This  spirit  is  always  asso- 
ciated with  true  humility;  and,  in  proportion  to 
the  Christian's  sense  of  his  own  unworthiness, 
is  his  thankfulness  for  those  supplies  which  he 
feels  he  has  forfeited  by  his  rebellion.  He  was 
accustomed  to  view  every  blessing,  both  spirit- 
ual and  temporal,  as  coming  to  him  immediately 
from  the  hands  of  God,  through  the  mediation 
of  the  Son  of  his  love.  With  the  exception  of 
the  pardon  of  his  sins  through  the  sacrifice  of 
Christ,  there  was  nothing  for  which  he  appeared 
so  grateful  as  the  preservation  of  his  life  during 
the  siege  of  Gibraltar,  while  he  was  yet  in  his 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  241 

sins,  and  exposed  to  everlasting  ruin.  After 
the  Lord  had  opened  his  eyes,  under  the  min- 
istry of  Mr.  Romaine,  and  he  had  seen  the 
awful  gulf,  upon  the  very  brink  of  which  he 
had  been  sporting,  and  from  which  he  had  been 
so  providentially  delivered,  he  was  utterly  at  a 
loss  for  words  with  which  to  convey  the  feelings 
of  his  thankful  heart;  and  his  gratitude,  instead 
of  being  diminished  by  the  lapse  of  time,  seemed 
rather  to  increase  with  every  year  of  his  pro- 
tracted existence.  From  the  period  of  his 
conversion,  to  the  end  of  his  life,  he  invariably 
kept  the  anniversary  of  the  bombardment  as  a. 
day  of  solemn  fasting  and  prayer. 

But,  in  expressing  his  gratitude  for  mercies 
received,  he  did  not  forget  the  instruments  by 
which  they  were  conveyed  to  him.  It  was  the 
remark  of  several  of  his  friends,  that  they  never 
knew  a  person  more  grateful  for  acts  of  kind- 
ness than  he  was.  The  following  is  an  extract 
from  a  letter  to  a  friend,  from  whom  he  had 
received  repeated  favors: 

Dec.  13, 1837. 
"Dear  Sir: — I  am  constrained,  from  a  sense 
of  manifest  unkindness,  and  want  of  respect,  to 
present  to  you  a  few  lines,  by  way  of  acknowl- 
edging my  fault.     I  might  plead  excuses,  such 
21 


242  MEMOIR     OF 

as  engagements  in  visiting  the  poor,  and  the 
infirmity  of  age;  but  they  will  not  do.  I  have 
sinned,  in  that  I  have  not  paid  that  respect  due 
to  you,  and  your  God,  through  your  hands; 
but  especially  for  that  Christian  affection  and 
respect  which  has  abounded  towards  me  and 
mine.  No  doubt,  you  have  had  hard  thoughts 
of  me.  I  pray  the  Lord  to  remove  them.  Time 
has  taught  me  that  old  friends  are  better  than 
new;  and  grace  has  improved  this  experience, 
for  friends  in  Christ  will  be  so  for  ever.  We 
may  part  for  a  time,  but  only  to  meet  again.  I 
can  say,  my  conscience  bearing  me  witness, 
that  you  have  not  been  off  my  mind  one  day. 
Nay,  it  cannot  be  otherwise;  for  I  have  a  writ- 
ten list  of  my  friends,  for  whom  I  pray  every 
morning,  and  you  are  nearly  at  the  top.  How 
many  times  have  I  resolved  to  come  and  see 
you,  but  something  or  other  has  always  stepped 
in  to  prevent  it. 

"Time  has  shaken  me  by  the  hand,  and  death 
is  behind  me.  I  trust  I  have  taken  the  warning, 
and  have  fled  to  Jesus  for  refuge;  and  I  find 
by  experience,  that  he  is  faithful  in  what  he 
has  engaged  to  perform:  namely,  that  when 
heart  and  flesh  shall  fail,  God  will  be  the 
strength  of  my  heart,  and  my  portion  for  ever. 
I  bless  his  name  for  the  abundant  provision  he 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.     •      243 

has  made. — 'Thou  art  my  hope,  O  Lord  God, 
thou  art  my  trust  even  from  my  youth.'  I  am 
a  wonder  to  many,  but  thou  art  my  strong 
refuge;  my  mouth  would  be  filled  with  his 
praise  all  the  day  long,  for  he  will  not  cast  me 
off  in  the  time  of  old  age.  O,  no,  no!  he  will 
not  forsake  me  when  my  strength  faileth.  His 
compassion  binds  him  to  comfort  and  relieve 
his  old  servant. — Thus  far  I  have  written  of 
myself,  that  you  may  know  what  latitude  I  am 
in." 

Christian  charity  eminently  adorned  the  mind 
of  Mr.  Cranfield.  The  fruits  of  righteousness 
are  not  solitary;  they  always  grow  in  a  cluster, 
though  in  different  persons  the  effect  of  one 
may  be  more  conspicuous  than  those  of  others. 
The  apostle  intimates,  that  it  is  possible  a  man 
may  possess  the  tongue  of  an  angel,  the  wis- 
dom and  faith  of  a  prophet,  and  the  zeal  and 
benevolence  of  a  martyr;  and  for  want  of  that 
love  which  "  beareth  all  things,  believeth  all 
things,  hopeth  all  things,  and  endureth  all 
things,"  he  may,  in  the  sight  of  God,  be  no 
better  than  as  sounding  brass  and  a  tinkling 
cymbal.  But  the  flame  which  burned  in  the 
heart  of  Mr.  Cranfield  was  conspicuous  to  all 
around, — was  evidently  enkindled  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  produced  a  cordial  love  and  good- 


244        •  MEMOIR     OF 

will  toward  his  fellow-creatures,  of  whatever 
grade  or  country,  sect  or  party  they  were. 

Though  the  lot  of  Mr.  C.  was  cast  princi- 
pally among  the  Dissenters,  yet  he  was  no 
sectarian.  When  asked  whether  he  was  a 
Churchmen  or  a  Dissenter,  he  would  sometimes 
say,  "  I  scarcely  know.  When  I  see  the  Dis- 
senters diligent  and  active  in  the  cause  of 
Christ,  burning  with  zeal  for  the  honor  and 
glory  of  his  name,  then  I  am  inclined  to  be  a 
Nonconformist;  but  when  I  see  the  Episcopa- 
lians coming  behind  them,  tripping  up  their 
heels,  and  taking  the  lead  in  the  glorious  work, 
then  I  say,  The  Church  for  ever!"  He  was 
well  acquainted  with  the  nature  and  history  of 
dissent,  having  in  his  younger  days  read  many 
of  the  old  authors,  and  works  of  a  controversial 
nature;  but  in  his  latter  days  he  read  few  books 
besides  his  Bible,  and  never  troubled  his  head 
about  parties  and  systems.  As  an  exception, 
however,  to  this  general  remark,  it  must  be 
noticed,  that  he  was  much  opposed  to  the  doc- 
trine of  the  high,  or  rather  hyper-Calvinists. 
"Don't  talk  to  me  about  preaching  only  to  the 
elect,"  he  would  sometimes  say,  "till  you  can 
chalk  them  on  the  back."  At  other  times  he 
would  remark,  "To  talk  of  converting  sinners 
by  preaching  only  to  saints,  is  an  absurdity. 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  245 

Such  persons  are  wiser  than  the  apostle  Peter, 
for  he  preached  to  one  in  the  gall  of  bitterness 
and  in  the  bonds  of  iniquity." 

Benevolence,  however,  appeared  to  be  the 
master  passion  of  Mr.  Cranfield's  mind.  He 
studied  the  pattern,  followed  the  steps,  and 
drank  largely  into  the  spirit  of  his  Lord  and 
Master.  He  had  not  the  gift  of  miracles,  but 
he  had  a  tender  fellow-feeling  for  the  poor  and 
afflicted,  and  he  denied  himself  many  lawful 
gratifications  for  their  sakes.  He  could  cheer- 
fully submit  to  any  service,  and  thought  nothing 
too  low,  or  too  mean,  in  which  to  engage,  if, 
thereby,  he  could  benefit  either  the  souls  or 
the  bodies  of  men. 

Through  every  period  of  his  Christian  life, 
he  acted  out  the  generous  sentiment  of  the 
Roman:  "I  am  a  man,  and  there  is  nothing 
relating  to  mankind  in  which  I  do  not  feel  in- 
terested." He  participated  in  the  joys  of  his 
neighbors,  and  shared  their  sorrows.  He  re- 
joiced with  those  that  rejoiced,  and  wept  with 
those  that  wept.  By  the  poor  he  was  consid- 
ered a  father.  They  were  accustomed  to  con- 
sult him  in  all  their  difficulties,  for  time  or 
eternity.  Did  the  widow  or  orphan  require 
some  one  to  assist  them  in  settling  their  earthly 
affairs; — they  came  to  him,  and  his  time  was 
21* 


246  MEMOIR     OF 

ever  at  their  disposal,  without  fee  or  reward. 
In  settling  the  affairs  of  one  widow,  it  is  cal- 
culated that  he  walked  no  less  than  150  miles; 
and  it  was  very  seldom,  indeed,  that  he  was 
without  some  such  business  in  hand.  Many 
who  were  involved  in  pecuniary  difficulties, 
sent  for  him,  to  intercede  with  their  creditors 
on  their  behalf;  and  in  this  he  was  invariably 
successful.  Were  any  in  want  of  clothing  to 
protect  them  from  the  inclemency  of  the 
weather; — they  came  to  him.  It  was  only  on 
the  last  day  of  his  active  life,  that  a  poor 
woman,  whom  he  did  not  know,  came  to  him, 
and  asked  for  a  flannel  garment;  and  had  he 
been  in  health  another  day,  no  doubt  her  re- 
quest would  have  been  granted.  On  these 
occasions  he  always  spoke  to  them  concerning 
their  spiritual  interests,  and  interrogated  them 
respecting  their  attendance  on  the  means  of 
grace.  When  in  better  circumstances,  he 
would  frequently  board  and  lodge  a  whole 
family  until  employment  could  be  obtained,  or 
relief  otherwise  afforded.  Many  are  the  per- 
sons, now  living  in  respectability,  whom  he 
has  been  the  means  of  raising  from  obscurity 
and  want;  and  in  his  latter  days,  though  crip- 
pled in  his  means,  he  was  still  the  friend  of  the 
Lord's  poor;  and  when  circumstances,  in  his 
opinion,   have  required  it,   he  has  cheerfully 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  247 

parted  with  the  dinner  from  his  table,  the 
clothes  from  his  person,  and  the  blankets  from 
his  bed. 

It  will  be  naturally  supposed,  that  living  as 
he  did,  in  the  midst  of  a  poor  and  crowded 
neighborhood,  the  calls  on  his  benevolence 
were  many  and  urgent;  but  there  were  so 
many  friends  who  felt  proud  to  assist  him  in 
this  charitable  employ,  that  he  only  had  to 
make  a  statement  of  the  case,  in  order  to  ob- 
tain the  means  of  relieving  it.  The  following 
extract  from  a  letter  to  a  friend,  exciting  him 
to  acts  of  benevolence,  will  show  his  attention 
to  the  afflicted  poor: — 

"Mint  street,  8th  June,  1831. 
"Dear  Sir, — I  have  been  called  to  visit  a 
person  in  great  distress,  residing  at  No.  19, 
Little  Suffolk  street.  The  man  to  all  apppear- 
ance  is  in  a  dying  state.  I  inquired  respecting 
his  hopes  for  eternity;  and  after  relating  to  me 
his  experience,  I  found  that  he  was  building  on 
the  covenant  of  works.  This  prop,  upon  which 
he  was  leaning,  was  quickly  removed,  and  he 
began  to  tremble,  finding  he  had  no  support. 
I  have  given  him  Bunyan's  'Come  and  Wel- 
come to  Jesus  Christ,'  and  other  suitable 
tracts,  which  have,  I  trust,  been  made  a  bless- 
ing to  him. 


248  MEMOIR     OF 

"I  have  constantly  visited  him  since,  and  I 
am  happy  to  say,  that,  as  far  as  I  can  judge, 
both  he  and  his  wife  are  convinced  of  their 
awful  state,  and  are  seeking  for  salvation  in 
Christ.  But  I  have  another  thing  to  tell  you: 
these  poor  creatures  are  in  a  starving  condition. 
Last  Sabbath,  I  saw  that  they  had  but  a  half- 
penny cabbage  between  them  for  dinner.  I 
sent  them  a  piece  of  meat  from  my  table;  and 
frequently  they  have  had  nothing  to  eat  till 
they  received  it  from  my  house.  The  landlord 
now  threatens  to  seize  what  {ew  goods  they 
have  for  rent.  The  poor  man  has  been  re- 
commended to  the  Surrey  Chapel  Benevolent 
Society,  but  the  little  he  received  from  that 
source,  is  not  sufficient  to  sustain  life.  I 
therefore  apply  to  you  for  assistance,  being 
anxious  to  save  the  bed,  which  appears  to  be 
the  only  comfort  of  an  earthly  nature  they 
have.  I  feel  persuaded,  that  whatever  God 
disposes  your  mind  to  give,  will  be  thankfully 
received.  It  would  be  an  insult  to  say  any 
thing  further:  I  cannot  suppose  that  the  soul  of 
a  Christian  can  be  drawn  out  in  prayer  for  the 
salvation  of  another,  without  feeling,  at  the 
same  time,  an  interest  in  his  temporal  welfare." 

In  these   works  of  mercy,  Mr.  C.   was  un- 
wearied and  the    sums  of  money  he    obtained 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  249 

for  the  use  of  distressed  objects,  and  his  de- 
votedness  to  their  interests,  were  astonishing. 
Many  who  knew  nothing  of  his  private  affairs, 
were  led  to  suppose  that  he  was  a  man  of  afflu- 
ence, as  his  supplies  appeared  to  be  inexhausti- 
ble; while,  at  the  same  time,  he  was,  perhaps 
as  straitened  in  his  circumstances  as  many  on 
whose  behalf  his  benevolence  was  exercised, 
not  thinking  himself  at  liberty  to  convert  to  his 
own  use,  that  which  had  been  entrusted  to  him 
for  the  use  of  others.* 

Many  have  objected  to  him,  that  his  zeal  for 
the  welfare  of  others  carried  him  beyond  the 
bounds  of  prudence,   and  prevented  him  from 
being  sufficiently  provident  for  his  family.     To 
a  person  who  was  speaking  to  him  one  day  re- 
specting his  giving  away  that  which  he  stood  in 
need  of  himself,  he  said,  "  Well  now,  come,  let 
us  reason  together.     This  morning  I  visited  a 
poor  woman  who  was  lying-in ;  in  one  corner  of 
the  room  lay  the  poor  creature  on  a  morsel  of 
straw,  with  the  new-born  babe  on  one  side   of 
her,  and  on  the  other  was  a  child  in  the  agonies 
of  death.     I  looked  in  the  cupboard,  and  there 

*  In  1836,  Mr.  C.'s  income  became  so  reduced,  that  the 
Rev.  J.  Arundel  recommended  him  to  the  "Aged  Pilgrims' 
Society,"  from  whom  he  received  a  small  weekly  allowance 
until  his  death. 


250  MEMOIR     OF 

was  not  a  morsel  of  food,  neither  was  there 
any  fire  in  the  grate,  and  the  husband  out  of 
employment.  Now,  what  would  you  do  in  such 
a  case?  The  man  who  has  but  a  sixpence  to 
call  his  own,  and  has  a  heart  to  withhold  it, 
under  such  circumstances,  must  be  a  monster. 
My  Bible  tells  me  that  " whoso  hath  this  world's 
good,  and  seeth  his  brother  have  need,  and 
shutteth  up  his  bowels  of  compassion  from  him, 
how  dwelleth  the  love  of  God  in  him?"  Be- 
fore any  person,  therefore,  can  form  a  correct 
opinion  of  his  conduct  in  this  respect,  he  must 
possess  something  of  his  philanthropic  disposi- 
tion, and  know  more  of  the  wretchedness  which 
he  sometimes  witnessed  in  the  squalid  abodes 
of  those  to  whom  he  often  appeared  as  an  angel 
of  mercy.  It  was  the  delight  of  his  heart  to. 
relieve  the  wants  of  others.  "O,  what  a  mercy 
it  is,  "he  would  sometimes  say,  "that  I  am 
able  to  assist  my  fellow-creatures;"  and  this 
employment  he  considered  as  much  his  privi- 
lege as  his  duty. 

But  though  his  regard  for  the  poor,  in  gen- 
eral, was  great,  it  did  not  equal  his  solicitude 
for  the  welfare  of  those  who  were  his  brethren 
in  Christ.  The  Lord's  poor  he  considered  had 
especial  claims  upon  his  sympathies  and  pray- 
ers;  for  them  he  would  beg  almost  from  door 


THOMAS     CRANFIELD.  251 

to  door,  and  in  such  a  way  that  few  could  resist 
the  force  of  his  appeal.  "Consider,"  he  would 
sometimes  say  (as  the  purse  was  drawn  from 
the  pocket,  or  some  article  of  consumption  was 
being  tied  up),  "for  whom  you  are  doing  it:  it 
is  for  one  of  God's  children,  and  that  is  no 
mean  person."  The  Rev.  R.  Hill,  towards  the 
close  of  his  life,  was  in  the  habit  of  placing  a 
certain  amount  of  silver  in  his  purse  every 
morning,  for  the  purpose  of  casual  distribution, 
and  Mr.  C.  would  frequently  come  in  and  lay 
before  him  a  case  of  distress  in  such  a  manner 
as  would  have  the  effect  of  quickly  emptying 
it  of  the  whole  of  its  contents;  and  after  his 
departure,  Mr.  H.  would  sometimes  observe, 
"When  that  compound  of  all  that  is  good  and 
excellent  comes  here,  he  makes  me  ashamed 
of  myself,  and  I  can  really  deny  him  nothing." 
As  a  Christian,  Mr.  Cranfield  generally  ap- 
peared cheerful  and  happy,  and  was  frequently 
as  playful  as  a  child.  The  children  of  his 
charge  loved  him  as  a  father;  and  on  his  road 
to  the  school,  he  was  usually  met  by  a  little 
company  of  them,  for  the  purpose  of  escorting 
him  to  the  place  of  instruction.  One  would 
seize  his  hand,  another  his  coat,  and  the  whole 
would  gather  around  him  so  closely,  that  it 
was  with  difficulty  he  could  proceed;  whilst  the 


252  MEMOIR     OF 

neighbors  would  stand  at  their  doors  and  say, 
"God  bless  that  dear  old  man!" 

At  times,  however,  Mr.  C.  experienced  con- 
siderable mental  depression:  but  these  seasons 
were  generally  of  short  duration,  as  on  their 
approach  he  would  either  seek  refuge  in  his 
Bible,  or  at  the  throne  of  grace;  or  he  would 
sit  down  to  write,  for  his  own  improvement. 
The  latter  method  he  very  frequently  practised 
and  generally  succeeded  in  writing  himself  into 
a  good  frame.  The  following  is  an  interesting 
specimen  of  this  species  of  writing  which  he 
addressed  to  his  daughters: — 

"  Good  Friday,  1832. 
"Dear  Children,— I  have  been  this  day 
to  partake  of  the  elements  commemorative  of 
my  dying  Lord;  but,  alas,  my  mind  appeared 
overspread  with  a  cloud,  so  that  I  could  not 
see  the  Sun  of  righteousness;  consequently, 
my  views  of  Christ  crucified  were  not  cheering, 
but  dull,  I  was  in  a  stupor,  having  no  active 
apprehension  of  the  Saviour.  I  find  I  am  at  a 
distance  from  him,  as  though  I  were  not  of  the 
family,  a  stranger  at  home,  a  lifeless  frame, 
every  trifle  a  trouble;  nothing  pleasant,  no 
love  for  the  word,  no  appetite  to  read  and  medi- 
tate.    I  take  up  one  book    and  then  another, 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  253 

and  lay  them  down,  without  any  impression  of  a 
spiritual  nature  on  my  mind.  I  want  (and 
nothing  can  satisfy  me  but  that)  a  sense  of  the 
pardoning  love  of  God.  I  am  as  a  ship  without 
compass  or  pilot,  uncertain  as  to  my  steering; 
fearful  I  shall  upset  on  some  rock,  and  make 
shipwreck  of  faith.  Thus  I  have  been  poring  in 
the  dark,  to  seek  for  light.  It  is  true  my  nature 
is  sin  and  ignorance;  I  must  not  expect  any 
consolation  from  within.  O,  to  look  through 
the  cloud  by  faith,  and  see  Jesus  seated  on  the 
right  hand  of  the  Majesty  on  high,  pleading  for 
me!  God  is  humbling  me,  and  giving  me  to  see 
my  poverty,  that  I  may  live  more  by  faith.  I 
have  known  what  it  is  to  believe  in  the  dark, 
and  have  experienced  the  blessed  effects  of  it 
so  that  I  have  actually  possessed  the  blessings 
contained  in  the  promises  of  God,  and  enjoyed 
them,  as  seeing  them  afar  off.  This  one  thing 
I  do  know,  that  there  is  no  enjoyment  but  what 
springs  from  a  sense  of  the  pardoning  love  of 
God  applied  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  then, 
is  my  encouragement;  although  I  cannot  go  to 
Christ  as  a  child  to  his  father,  I  can  go  as  a 
poor  sinner,  saying,  'God  be  merciful  unto  me!' 
I  have  been  inquiring  why  my  soul  is  so  cast 
down,  and  what  I  am  to  do  in  this  lifeless  frame. 
My  Bible  says,  'hope  thou  in  God' — in  faithful- 
22 


254  MEMOIR      OF 

ness.  He  is  not  a  man  that  he  should  lie: 
He  hath  said,  and  he  will  do  it.  My  dear 
girls,  there  is  a  dawn  of  light  this  moment 
sprung  up  in  my  heart  from  his  precious  word: 
'who  is  there  among  you  that  walketh  in  dark- 
ness, and  hath  no  light,  let  him  trust  in  the 
Lord,  and  stay  upon  his  God.'  And  again, 
'When  the  poor  and  needy  seek  water,  and  there 
is  none,  and  their  tongue  faileth  for  thirst, 
I  the  Lord  will  hear  them;  I  the  God  of  Israel 
will  not  forsake  them.'  O,  here  is  comfort! 
here  are  fresh  supplies  of  living  water!  let  me 
lay  down  my  pen,  and  look  at  these  sweet  por- 
tions. I  begin  at  the  40th  of  Isaiah  and  read 
on  through  the  41st  and  42d  chapters.  Why  I 
have  been  like  Hagar  in  the  wilderness — near 
the  well,  without  being  able  to  see  it.  Thus, 
you  see,  I  am  getting  a  little  into  the  light,  al- 
though it  is  now  ten  o'clock  at  night.  The 
flesh  says,  'Thomas,  to  bed;'  but  the  Spirit 
says,  'Go  on.'  Which  of  the  two  am  I  to 
obey?  My  head  says,  'the  flesh.'  Well, 
then,  I  will  go  and  take  some  of  those  sweet 
portions,  and  plead  them  before  the  Lord. 
Farewell!     Good-night. 

"Saturday, — I  have  slept  well,  and  find 
myself  much  better.  Took  a  walk,  and  looked 
in  at  the  school;  came  home  somewhat  weary 
— read  an  interesting  tract   about  a  sailor,  and 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  255 

here  I  am,  waiting  for  a  bright  day.  It  is  good 
that  a  man  doth  wait  and  hope  in  the  Lord.  I 
had  this  afternoon  a  sweet  view  of  the  barrel 
of  meal;  it  did  not  waste  by  using;  there  was 
a  constant  supply.  So  it  is  with  Christ; 
although  he  has  enriched  millions,  he  is  not  in 
the  least  impoverished.  No,  'he  giveth  more 
grace.  Well,  then,  'why,  being  the  King's 
son,  so  lean  from  day  to  day?'  The  reason  is 
obvious:  'Ye  will  not  come  unto  me,'  says 
Christ,  'that  ye  may  have  life.'  I  have  been  a 
little  way  with  our  Lord  through  the  vineyard, 
John  xv.  O,  when  the  blessed  husbandman 
takes  up  his  knife,  it  sometimes  cuts  keenly, 
and  makes  us  feel  and  cry  out.  This  I  know 
is  not  joyous  but  grievous,  yet  it  doth  yield 
the  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness;  and  the 
result  is,  he  bringeth  more  fruit  unto  God. 

"Sabbath. — Awoke  at  half-past  twelve. — A 
great  fire  in  Kent  street. — I  feel  thankful  that 
I  am  preserved.  Arose  early,  and  feel  myself 
well,  but  weak.  I  feel  the  necessity  of  abiding 
in  Christ  by  repeated  acts  of  faith.  I  do  find 
that  when  I  depart  from  Christ,  though  it  be 
but  partially,  or  when  I  neglect  my  duty,  I 
get  into  a  poor,  withered,  fruitless  condition. 
Pray,  pray,  pray  for 

"Your  most  affectionate  father, 

"Thos.  Cranfield." 


256  MEMOIR      OF 

Although  Mr.  Cranfield  appeared  generally 
in  a  truly  spiritual  frame  of  mind,  yet  it  is  cer- 
tain, that  he  had  great  and  frequent  conflicts 
with  the  prince  of  darkness.  He  appeared, 
during  the  whole  of  life,  to  be  an  especial 
mark  at  which  that  enemy  of  souls  shot  his 
fiery  darts.  No  doubt,  the  natural  disposition 
of  Mr.  C.  (being  a  man  of  remarkable  strong 
feelings)  invited  his  foe  to  the  attack.  What 
the  precise  nature  of  those  conflicts  was,  is 
not  exactly  certain,  as  he  generally  appeared 
to  manifest  an  aversion  to  talk  on  the  subject; 
but  it  is  evident  they  were  very  severe.  He 
has  sometimes  declared  to  his  family,  that  he 
had  experienced  struggles  quite  as  desperate 
as  that  described  in  the  "Pilgrim's  Progress," 
between  Christian  and  Apollyon,  insomuch 
that  the  perspiration  has  started  from  every 
pore.  The  following  passage  in  the  life  of 
John  Bunyan,  he  has  marked  with  his  own 
hand,  and  has  written  in  the  margin,  "This  is 
my  experience." 

"But  in  this  work,  as  in  all  other,  I  had  my 
temptations  attending  me,  and  that  of  divers 
kinds;  as  sometimes  when  I  have  been  vio- 
lently assaulted  with  thoughts  of  blasphemy, 
and  strongly  tempted  to  speak  the  words  with 
my  mouth  before  the  congregation. 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  257 

"I  have  also,  while  found  in  this  blessed 
work  of  Christ,  been  often  tempted  to  pride 
and  liftings  up  of  heart;  and  though  I  dare  not 
say  I  have  not  been  affected  with  this,  yet 
truly,  the  Lord,  of  his  precious  mercy,  hath 
so  carried  it  towards  me,  that  I  have  had  small 
joy  to  give  way  to  such  a  thing." 

But  these  struggles,  though  violent,  were 
short;  being  well  armed  with  the  sword  of 
the  Spirit,  and  having  a  wonderful  address  in 
the  use  of  it,  he  came  off  more  than  conqueror, 
through  the  strength  and  assistance  of  the 
Captain  of  his  salvation.  These  conflicts, 
however,  were  not  unattended  with  blessings — 
as  they  led  him  to  watch  and  to  pray — to  abide 
more  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty, 
and  to  depend  more  upon  him  for  strength  to 
help  in  time  of  need. 

It  might  be  said  of  Mr.  Cranfield,  as  it  was 
of  Apollos,  that  he  was  mighty  in  the  Scriptures. 
There  was  no  part  of  the  word  of  God  with 
which  he  did  not  appear  to  be  thoroughly 
acquainted;  and  although,  in  the  latter  part 
of  his  life,  his  memory  commonly  failed  him 
upon  other  subjects,  yet,  when  asked  to  prove 
any  doctrine  of  the  gospel,  he  could  repeat 
texts  one  after  another,  giving  chapter  and 
verse  for  each,  almost  as  correctly  as  if  he 
22* 


258  MEMOIR      OF 

quoted  them  from  a  concordance.  In  social 
parties  he  was  often  very  amusing,  in  the 
manner,  and  readiness,  with  which  he  detected 
the  mistakes  of  some  garrulous  friend.  A 
gentleman,  one  evening,  having  discoursed 
very  long  and  learnedly  upon  the  sinfulness  of 
calling  our  fellow-creatures  hypocrites,  con- 
cluded by  saying,  that  there  was  no  instance 
in  the  whole  word  of  God  of  any  righteous 
person  calling  a  man  a  hypocrite,  save  him 
who  searcheth  the  heart.  To  which  Mr.  C. 
replied  with  a  good-humored  smile,  and  with- 
out a  moment's  hesitation,  "God  shall  smite 
thee,  thou  whited  wall."  At  another  time, 
being  told  that  there  was  neither  precept  nor 
command  in  the  Bible  for  giving  thanks  after 
meat,  he  immediately  quoted  Deut.  8:  10, 
"When  thou  hast  eaten  and  art  full,  then 
thou  shalt  bless  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  the 
good  land  which  he  hath  given  thee."  The 
holy  Scriptures,  indeed,  were  his  continual 
study.  Few  persons  entered  the  room  without 
finding  the  Bible  before  him;  and  if  in  the 
night  he  could  get  no  sleep,  he  would  fre- 
quently light  a  candle,  and  read  and  pray  for 
hours  together.  In  the  day-time  he  seldom 
read  without  pen,  ink,  and  paper,  by  his  side, 
for  the  purpose  of  noting  down  any  thing  that 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  259 

might  strike  his  attention.  The  sayings  of 
Christ,  as  recorded  in  the  four  Gospels,  were 
always  remarkably  precious  to  his  soul.  He 
used  to  say,  that  there  was  a  power  and  fulness 
in  them,  such  as  he  could  find  no  where  else. 
At  one  time,  when  confined  to  his  home  by 
indisposition,  he  marked  in  his  Bible,  with  a 
pen,  under  every  word  uttered  by  our  Saviour; 
and  at  another,  he  copied  them  out  with  his  own 
hand.  He  was  accustomed  to  read  his  Bible 
quite  through,  and  always  with  some  particular 
design — sometimes  to  discover  for  himself, 
when,  and  under  what  circumstances,  the 
promise  of  the  Messiah  was  given;  at  another 
time,  to  find  if  God  revealed  himself  to  his 
people  in  any  other  than  a  relative  character; 
and  in  the  year  that  closed  his  life,  he  studied 
it  with  a  view  to  direct  all  its  promises  and 
threatenings,  personally  to  himself.  This  he 
found  to  be  a  truly  profitable  employment,  and 
his  mind  became  enriched  thereby.  The  fol- 
lowing is  a  letter  he  wrote  to  his  daughter 
while  engaged  in  this  work: — 

"  8th  October,  1838. 

"My  Dear  Martha, — 'Here  we  suffer 
grief  and  pain.' — I  am  going  through  the  fire, 
but  am  wonderfully  supported.     Things  in  the 


260  MEMOIR      OF 

family  are  as  they  should  be,  in  reference  to 
God's  dealings  in  afflictive  dispensations.  Af- 
flictions flow  from  the  heart  of  God,  therefore 
they  are  not  to  be  despised.  They  are  proofs 
of  our  sonship,  so  they  are  profitable;  they 
promote  fellowship  and  communion  with  God. 
They  are  profitable,  when  we  look  not  at  the 
things  that  are  seen.  When  faith  is  in  exer- 
cise, she  looks  beyond  the  cloud  Faith  has  to 
do  with  unseen  things.  Alas!  what  is  the  world 
with  all  its  enjoyments?  Dog's-meat — in  com- 
parison with  fellowship  with  God.  O,  ye  sons 
of  wealth  and  ease,  I  envy  you  not;  I  possess 
all;  my  estate  is  vast,  beyond  limits;  I  have 
more  than  Adam  lost;  I  have  Christ,  with  all 
the  perfection  of  Deity,  made  over  to  me  in  a 
covenant  sealed  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  wit- 
nessed by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  my  soul.  See  the 
Judge's  hand-writing — 'Your  sins  and  your 
iniquities  I  will  remember  no  more.'  I  have 
also  the  hand  of  my  God,  in  writing — 'That 
he  will  carry  me  through  old  age;'  therefore  I 
fear  not.  O  yes,  my  dear  child,  I  have  a 
lodging  between  the  shoulders  of  Christ — here 
I  am  safe.  I  have  laid  all  my  concerns,  with 
my  children  and  their  little  ones,  upon  the 
same  shoulders.  Now,  hear  what  my  cov- 
enant God,  my  family  Jehovah,  says,  'Heark- 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  261 

en  unto  me,'  (Dear  Lord!  close  my  ears  to  all 
without  and  within,)  'hearken  unto  me,  O 
house  of  Thomas  Cranfield,  which  are  borne 
by  me  from  the  belly,  which  are  carried  from 
the  womb:  and  even  to  your  old  age  I  am  He; 
and  even  to  hoar  hairs  will  I  carry  you;  I  have 
made,  and  I  will  hear;  even  I  will  carry  and 
deliver  you.' 

"Here  is  a  cordial  for  an  old  man;  and  here 
I  am,  a  witness  for  God,  that  he  is  faithful  to 
his   engagement.     May   the   Lord   bless  you; 
and  when  it  is  well  with  you,  remember — 
"Your  affectionate  father, 

"Thos.  Cranfield." 

"P.  S. — O,  dear!  my  head  is  bad;  I  am 
ashamed  of  this  note.  Well,  it  maybe  my  last. 
I  feel  the  old  man;  I  would  shake  him  off,  but 
I  cannot;  and  my  Father  knows  that  my 
strength  is  to  sit  still.  Faith  says  it  is  best  for 
me:  then  as  I  need  it,  I  must  go  out  of  myself 
for  support." 

Thus  much  must  suffice  for  the  description 
of  his  personal  character.  His  character  as  a 
teacher  of  the  young,  and  visiter  of  the  afflict- 
ed, will  be  given  in  the  following  chapter. 


262  MEMOIR      OF 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  CHARACTER  OF   MR.   CRANF1ELD,  AS  A  SABBATH 
SCHOOL  TEACHER  AND  VISITER  OF  THE  AFFLICTED. 

Whatever  view  we  take  of  the  character 
of  Mr.  Cranfield,  we  find  in  it  something 
interesting  and  striking;  but  as  a  Sabbath 
school  teacher,  and  visiter  of  the  poor  and 
afflicted,  no  man,  perhaps,  was  more  exten- 
sively useful,  and  signally  successful.  There 
is  no  doubt  that  he  was  raised  up  of  God  for 
the  important  station  he  was  called  to  occupy, 
and  that  he  was  eminently  qualified  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  for  the  times  in  which  he  appeared. 

As  a  teacher,  he  was,  undoubtedly,  one  of 
the  most  eminent,  indefatigable,  zealous  and 
useful  of  any  that  have  appeared  since  the 
formation  of  Sabbath  schools,  by  the  immortal 
Raikes. 

In  all  his  engagements  at  the  school,  punc- 
tuality was  strictly  observed  by  him;  this  he 
considered  an  indispensable  qualification  for  a 
teacher.  Nothing  appeared  to  ruffle  him  more 
than  to  see  the  teachers  come  in  half  an  hour 
after  the  time  for  opening  the  school.     Such 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  263 

persons  he  would  sometimes  accost  on  their 
entrance,  as  perfect  strangers,  and  very 
gravely  ask  them  if  they  were  teachers,  or 
what  was  their  business  there?  During  the 
whole  period  of  his  labors,  he  was  never  known 
to  absent  himself  from  the  school  on  account 
of  the  weather;  nothing  but  indisposition  was 
considered  by  him  a  sufficient  excuse  for  such 
neglect  of  duty. 

In  the  class,  he  was  kind,  serious  and 
interesting;  and  in  the  desk,  solemn,  persua- 
sive and  energetic.  Indeed,  in  his  addresses 
to  the  children,  the  energy  of  his  spirit  and  of 
his  utterance  was  such  as  is  seldom  exceeded 
in  Sabbath  schools.  He  would  give  such 
scope  to  his  feelings,  as  often  to  be  so  over- 
come, that  it  was  with  difficulty  he  could 
proceed.  Frequently,  both  teachers  and  chil- 
dren were  excited  to  tears,  by  his  pathetic 
representations  of  the  love  of  the  Saviour,  and 
his  readiness  to  receive  sinners.  He  spoke 
with  authority  as  a  messenger  from  God,  and 
his  language,  though  not  always  in  perfect 
accordance  with  the  rules  laid  down  by  schol- 
ars, was  nevertheless,  in  strict  accordance  with 
the  inspired  rule  of  life.  The  sense  he  had  of 
the  evil  of  sin,  the  worth  of  souls,  and  the 
nearness  of  eternity,  filled  his  soul  with  holy 


264  MEMOIR      OF 

ardor,  and  raised  him  far  above  that  cold  criti- 
cal nicety  of  expression,  which,  while  it  pleases 
the  ear,  leaves  the  heart  unsubdued. 

The  methods  he  sometimes  used,  for  the 
purpose  of  fixing  the  attention  of  the  children, 
and  impressing  their  minds,  were  striking,  and 
often  productive  of  the  most  happy  results. 
One  day,  after  energetically  urging  his  youth- 
ful hearers  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  he 
exclaimed,  "Children,  do  you  know  whither 
you  are  going?  Did  you  ever  in  your  life,  for 
a  moment,  think  whether  you  are  going  to 
heaven  or  hell?  If  not,  think  of  it  now.  Do 
not  delay;  time  is  precious,  and  the  next 
moment  may  hurry  you  into  an  eternal  world. 
O,  do  examine  yourselves;  let  each  one  ask 
himself  and  herself,  am  I  going  to  heaven  or 
hell?"  and  then  taking  out  his  watch,  he  laid 
it  on  the  desk,  and  said,  "Come,  I  will  give 
you  three  minutes  to  think  of  the  matter." 
The  children,  during  this  time,  remained  in 
the  most  profound  silence;  and  there  is  no 
doubt,  that  many  seriously  considered  the 
question.  At  other  times,  he  would  quote 
passages  of  Scripture,  and  direct  them  person- 
ally to  the  children  by  name,  in  this  manner: — 
"Rejoice,  O  young  man,  in  thy  youth!  and 
let  thy  heart  cheer  thee  in   the  days  of  thy 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  265 

youth,  and  walk  in  the  ways  of  thine  heart, 
and  in  the  sight  of  thine  eyes;  but  know  thou, 
Thomas  Jones, — know  thou,  Mary  Smith, — 
know  thou,  William  Farrell  (pointing  to  each), 
that  for  all  these  things,  God  will  bring  thee 
into  judgment."  The  children,  by  these 
means,  were  often  much  affected,  and  even 
the  teachers  have  declared,  that  so  powerful 
has  been  the  impression*  made  upon  their 
minds,  that  the  remembrance  of  many  of  his 
expressions  would  be  carried  with  them  to  the 
grave. 

The  success  of  Mr  Cranfield's  labors  was 
extraordinary.  Several  instances  of  usefulness 
have  already  been  recorded;  besides  these, 
there  are  many  others  of  an  extremely  inter- 
esting character,  the  details  of  which  have, 
from  time  to  time,  been  transmitted  to  the 
Committee  of  the  Southwark  Society,  by  whom 
they  are  preserved  in  a  book,  kept  for  that 
purpose,  with  many  other  documents  of  a  sim- 
ilar kind  which  have  been  furnished  by  the 
various  schools  connected  with  that  institution. 
Indeed,  he  was  continually  being  called  to 
visit  the  happy  death-beds  of  some  of  his 
scholars,  and  seldom,  or  never,  did  an  old 
scholars'  meeting  break  up,  without  some 
declaring  that  his  instructions  were  made 
23 


266  MEMOIR      OF 

instrumental  in  their  conversion.  In  the  latter 
part  of  his  life,  it  be  may  said,  without  exag- 
geration, that  scarcely  a  week  elapsed  without 
his  being  met  in  his  walks  by  one  or  more  of 
his  old  scholars,  who  thanked  him  for  his 
attention,  and  told  him,  that  the  Lord  had  met 
with  them  in  the  way  of  mercy  through  his 
instrumentality. 

The  great  secret  of  his  success  appears  to 
have  been  his  love  of  prayer,  his  faith  in  the 
promises  of  God,  and  his  entire  dependence 
upon  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  all  his  efforts.  Like 
Elisha,  when  he  raised  to  life  the  son  of  the 
Shunamite,  he  commenced  the  work  with 
secret  prayer,  and  then,  while  careful  to  con- 
tract himself,  as  it  were,  within  the  narrow 
limits  of  the  children's  understanding,  he 
stretched  his  powers  to  the  utmost,  as  an 
instrument,  to  warm  their  hearts  with  a  Sa- 
viour's love,  and  to  raise  them  from  a  death  of 
sin  to  a  life  of  righteousness.  He  knew,  indeed, 
that  it  was  not  by  might  nor  by  power,  but  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  that  sinners  were  to  be 
converted;  that  doctrine  was  ever  prominent 
in  all  his  discourses;  but  he  was  also  aware 
that  God  worked  by  means,  and  that  an  icicle 
was  a  most  unlikely  instrument  to  enkindle  a 
flame. 


THOMAS      C  K  A  N  F  I  E  L  D  .  267 

In  all  his  instructions  to  the  children,  he 
had  an  eye  to  the  parents,  and  seldom  finished 
his  addresses  without  repeating  some  short 
sentiment  or  striking  anecdote,  which  the 
scholars  were  requested  to  carry  home. 

Nor  was  he  active  in  the  cause,  only  when 
at  school.  Much  of  his  time  was  also  occupied 
at  home,  in  composing  catechisms  upon  various 
subjects,  both  for  the  instruction  of  the  children 
and  the  use  of  the  teachers.  These  catechisms 
alone  are  so  numerous,  and  some  of  them  of 
such  extreme  length,  as  to  induce  the  supposi- 
tion, that  the  whole  of  his  leisure  time  must 
have  been  employed  In  that  exercise. 

It  was  the  plan  of  Mr.  Cranfield,  if  it  could 
be  avoided,  never  to  lose  sight  of  the  children 
that  had  been  instructed  in  the  school.  He 
followed  them  as  far  as  he  was  able,  to  the 
stations  they  occupied  in  the  world,  inquiring 
into  their  conduct,  and  exhorting  them  to 
continue  in  the  things  they  had  learned.  He 
was  constantly  writing  to  some  of  them  to  know 
the  state  of  their  minds,  and  to  ascertain  if 
they  were  still  traveling  to  Zion  with  their  faces 
thitherward.  Many  letters,  of  an  interesting 
character,  still  remain,  that  he  received  from 
the  old  scholars,  in  answer  to  his  inquiries. 

In  writing  to  the  old  scholars,  his  language 


268  MEMOIR      OF 

was  calculated  to  affect  their  hearts;  and  they 
who  refused  to  believe,  were  often  compelled 
to  tremble.  To  the  old  scholars  whom  he 
knew  to  be  living  in  sin,  he  was  generally  very 
severe.  He  well  knew  the  gall  and  bitterness 
of  a  state  of  bondage  to  the  powers  of  darkness, 
for  it  had  been  his  own;  and  he  hated  sin  so 
universally  in  all  its  forms,  that  his  declarations 
against  it  were  both  pointed  and  searching. 

These  letters  were  sure  to  be  followed  by  a 
visit,  when  another  reproof  would  be  received 
from  him  in  person.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  had 
raised  him  above  the  fear  of  man;  and  he 
thought  it  his  duty  to  be  equally  zealous  and 
bold  in  expostulating  with  his  guilty  scholars, 
wherever  he  met  them. 

He  was  always  careful  that  none  of  the 
children  should  go  out  into  the  world  without 
a  Bible.  If  they  had  none  of  their  own,  they 
were  furnished  with  one,  either  out  of  the 
teachers'  fund,  or  at  his  own  expense,  and 
generally  with  some  remarks  in  his  own  hand- 
writing, on  the  cover  or  fly-leaf.  The  follow- 
ing lines  were  written  in  a  Bible  presented  to  a 
little  girl:— 

"This  book  of  books  is  presented  to  you 
from  a  friendly  regard  for  your  spiritual  wel- 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  269 

fare.  It  is  one  of  the  most  eminent  means  of 
converting  the  soul.  This  book  is  well  adapt- 
ed, by  the  Spirit  of  God,  to  teach  man  solid 
wisdom  in  things  pertaining  to  himself  and 
godliness.  '  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  begin- 
ning of  wisdom.'  My  dear  young  friend,  let  me 
exhort  you  to  seek  a  saving  knowledge  of  God 
in  Christ  forthwith;  for,  compared  with  this, 
all  other  knowledge  is  vain  and  useless.  Next 
to  this,  I  would  that  you  honor  your  mother, 
gladly  receive  her  instruction,  and  earnestly 
practise  it,  in  order  to  promote  the  fear  of  God 
in  your  mind.  See  that,  with  utmost  circum- 
spection and  eagerness,  you  avoid  all  unnec- 
essary fellowship  with  the  wicked.  Oh,  do  not 
listen  to  their  flattering  inducements;  for,  if 
they  once  entangle  you,  they  will  perpetually 
hurry  you  on  from  one  horrid  course  to  anoth- 
er. How  necessary,  then,  that  you  should 
make  this  book  the  man  of  your  counsel.  It  is 
with  earnest  prayer,  I  present  it  to  you. 

"Thos.  Cranfield. 
"4th  July,  1826." 

In  visiting  and  comforting  the  sick  and 
afflicted,  Mr.  Cranfield  was  as  active  and 
successful  as  in  his  endeavors  to  feed  the 
lambs  of  Christ's  flock.     The  number  of  per 

23* 


270  MEMOIR      OF 

sons  whose  spiritual  eyes  he  has  been  the 
means  of  opening,  through  these  seasonable 
visits,  is  surprising;  and  jet  our  wonder  ceases 
when  we  consider  the  means  he  employed  for 
the  purpose.  His  first  care  was  to  see  if  they 
were  in  possession  of  a  Bible;  and  if  they  could 
not  read,  he  would  either  go  every  day,  or 
perhaps  twice  or  thrice  a  day,  himself,  or  send 
some  other  person,  to  read  to  them.  He  then 
presented  their  case  before  the  throne  of  the 
Divine  Majesty,  and  would  spend  hours  in 
prayer  on  their  behalf.  His  visits  were  always 
continued  till  either  the  affliction  was  in  some 
measure  removed,  or  the  sufferer  died. 

Perhaps  few  persons  were  better  adapted 
for  visiting  the  poor  and  afflicted  than  Mr. 
Cranfield.  Having  passed  through  almost 
every  variety  of  suffering  himself,  he  could 
enter  into  the  feelings  of  others,  and,  like  an 
experienced  physician,  knew  exactly  what 
remedies  to  administer,  and  where  to  apply 
them.  But  to  no  class  of  persons  was  he  more 
eminently  useful,  than  to  those  who,  having 
been  convinced  of  sin,  were  led  by  Satan  to 
believe  that  their  crimes  were  of  too  great  a 
magnitude  to  be  pardoned.  To  such  persons 
he  would  open  such  a  catalogue  of  offences 
that  he  himself  had  committed,  and  from  which 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  271 

the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  had  cleansed  him, 
that  every  mouth  became  stopped,  and  multi- 
tudes who  had  been  saying,  "He  will  be 
favorable  no  more,  his  mercy  is  clean  gone 
for  ever,"  have,  from  the  detail  of  his  experi- 
ence, been  encouraged  to  hope  in  the  Lord, 
and  have  eventually  experienced  the  truth  of 
the  Psalmist's  declaration,  "There  is  forgive- 
ness with  thee,  that  thou  mayest  be  feared." 
At  the  sick  chambers,  therefore,  of  poor 
unfortunate  females,  he  was  generally  a  physi- 
cian of  value;  and  as  his  age  and  character 
placed  him  above  suspicion,  he  scrupled  not 
to  go  into  these  very  worst  abodes  of  infamy, 
disease  and  wretchedness.  It  will  not  be 
known  till  the  morning  of  the  resurrection, 
what  benefits  have  resulted  from  his  labors 
among  this  class  of  persons;  one  instance  only 
must  here  suffice. 

About  the  year  1815,  he  was  sent  for,  in 
great  haste,  to  visit  an  unhappy  female  who 
had  attempted  to  commit  suicide,  and  whose 
life  was  despaired  of.  In  the  messenger,  who 
came  with  the  hasty  summons,  he  recognized 
an  old  scholar  of  the  Mint  school,  but  her 
appearance  was  so  much  altered,  that  it  was 
with  difficulty  he  remembered  her  features. 
The    dew    of   health    had  departed  from  her 


272  MEMOIR      OF 

cheeks;  her  eyes  had  ceased  to  sparkle  with 
their  former  lustre,  and  her  general  appear- 
ance but  too  plainly  indicated  the  class  of 
characters  with  which  she  was  associated. 
He  went  with  her  to  the  house  of  mourning, 
and  was  assiduous  in  his  attention  both  to  her 
and  her  companion.  The  one  was  raised  again 
from  what  was  thought  to  be  her  dying  bed, 
but  returned  to  her  former  vicious  course. 
The  other,  however,  exhibited  tokens  of  true 
penitence  and  deep  contrition,  and  was  re- 
claimed from  the  paths  of  infamy  and  sorrow, 
and,  by  the  blessing  of  God  on  the  endeavors 
of  her  teacher  and  friend,  she  "was  delivered 
from  the  power  of  darkness,  and  translated  into 
the  kingdom  of  his  dear  Son."  Mr.  C.  raised 
a  small  weekly  subscription  for  her,  and  pro- 
cured her  a  little  needle-work,  by  which  she 
was  enabled  to  live  in  comfort  the  rest  of  her 
days.  But  the  seeds  of  a  fatal  disorder,  which 
it  was  impossible  for  medical  skill  to  eradicate, 
had  been  produced  in  her  delicate  frame,  in 
consequence  of  her  former  irregularities  and 
exposure  to  the  night  air.  Her  health  gradu- 
ally wasted  away,  and,  after  two  years  of  the 
most  consistent  walk  and  conversation,  she 
was  released  from  pain  and  suffering,  and,  no 
doubt,  was  admitted  into  that  heavenly  Jerusa- 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  273 

lem,  ''where  the  inhabitants  shall  no  more  say 
they  arc  sick,  and  the  people  that  dwell  therein 
are  forgiven  their  iniquities."  Mr.  C.  watched 
over  her,  till  her  death,  with  parental  affection; 
and  the  expressions  of  gratitude  which  fell 
from  her  lips  were  truly  delightful  and  encour- 
aging. "The  blessing  of  one  that  was  ready 
to  perish  came  upon  him,"  and  if  he  had  lived 
for  no  other  purpose  than  to  be  instrumental  in 
plucking  this  brand  from  the  burning,  his 
would  have  been  a  useful  life. 

But  believers  in  Christ  were  the  objects  of 
his  peculiar  regard.  For  them  he  spent  much 
time,  both  at  the  throne  of  grace  and  at  the 
writing-table.  His  letters  to  mourners  in  Zion 
would  fill  a  large  and  interesting  volume. 

The  following  letter  to  his  son,  at  the  Mar- 
gate Infirmary,  affords  an  admirable  specimen 
of  his  ability  in  comforting  those  that  mourn: — 

"My  very  dear  Richard, — I  received  your 
kind  letter,  and  thank  you  for  your  remem- 
brance of  me.  My  soul  yearns  over  you,  and 
am  saying  inwardly,  'By  what  shall  I  comfort 
you.'  Trust  in  the  Lord  with  all  thine  heart, 
and  lean  not  to  thine  own  understanding. 
Your  state  is  ordered  by  a  wise  counsel;  for, 
'My  counsel  shall  stand,  and  I  will  do  all  my 


274  MEMOIR      OF 

pleasure.'  The  counsels  of  the  Lord  are  deep; 
the  result  of  unerring  wisdom.  The  matter, 
means  and  end  are  all  therein  connected.  O, 
that  God  should  consult  our  welfare!  He  is 
cwise  in  all  his  ways,  and  holy  in  all  his 
works.'  God  promises  to  own  them  in  cap- 
tivity; so  he  does.  All  his,  in  whatever 
condition  they  may  be,  he  promises  to  support 
them,  and  deliver  them.  You  have  a  skilful 
pilot  at  the  helm.  'Be  still,  and  know  that  I 
am  God.'  You  know  that  Jeremiah,  who  is 
an  old  friend  of  mine,  says,  'If  thou  hast  run 
with  the  footmen  and  they  weary  thee,  how 
shalt  thou  contend  with  horsemen  ? '  Remem- 
ber, God's  thoughts  are  thoughts  of  peace,  to 
give  you  an  expected  end.  I  know  your  state 
is  rather  galling;  but  I  see  there  is  much 
mixture  of  mercy.  It  affords  me  great  pleas- 
ure to  hear  that  you  are  so  usefully  employed 
in  distributing  tracts.  Who  knows  but  that 
the  Lord  has  sent  you  to  Margate,  to  be  the 
means  of  the  salvation  of  some  poor  sinner? 
This  will  make  up  for  all  your  pain  and  sorrow. 
"The  best  remedy  I  can  find  for  trials  is 
patience;  so  let  patience  have  her  perfect 
work.  Cheerfully  submit  to  the  hands  of  God, 
and  say,  '  The  cup  which  my  heavenly  Father 
giveth  me,  shall  I  not  drink  it? '  Look  at 
Micah  7:    9,  'I   will  bear  the  indignation  of 


THOMAS      CRANFIELD.  275 

the  Lord.'  When  thus  resigned,  affliction  will 
cease  to  be  affliction,  because  it  has  produced 
the  end  designed  by  it.  O,  my  dear  boy,  I 
know  what  I  am  writing;  I  am  not  a  novice 
in  the  school  of  Christ.  It  is  said  of  Luther, 
that  he  could  not  understand  some  psalms  till 
he  was  afflicted.  Christ's  cross  is  no  letter  in 
the  book,  'and  yet,'  says  he,  'it  has  taught 
me  more  than  all  the  letters  in  the  book.'  O, 
yes,  affliction  is  a  golden  key,  by  which  the 
Lord  opens  the  rich  treasures  of  his  word  to 
his  people;  and  I  think  you  will  have  to 
acknowledge  it  before  you  get  off  your  couch, 
— this  I  have  experienced.  The  benefit  of 
this  affliction  may  be  handed  down  to  your 
grandchildren,  as  I  trust  you  have  derived 
profit  from  those  of  your  grandfather.  Read 
the  last  verse  in  Micah,  and  see  with  what 
solemnity  the  covenant  of  grace  is  ratified  to 
you,  and  with  what  satisfaction  it  may  be 
relied  on  by  you.  The  Lord  will  perform  his 
truth  and  mercy;  not  one  jot  or  tittle  of  it  shall 
fail.  Faithful  is  he  that  hath  promised,  who 
also  will  do  it.  O,  let  us,  my  dear  boy,  rejoice 
in  and  praise  the  pardoning  mercy  of  our 
family  God.     Amen. 

"I  remain  your  affectionate  father, 

"Thomas  Cranfield. 

"Sept.  6th,  1838." 


276        MEMOIR      OF     CRANFIELD. 

In  closing  the  memoir  of  this  extraordinary 
man,  it  will  be  only  necessary  to  add,  that  it  has 
not  been  attempted  here  to  draw  a  perfect  char- 
acter. Mr.  Cranfield,  no  doubt,  had  his  failings, 
like  all  other  men;  but  no  one  understood  them 
better  than  he  did,  nor  could  any  one  be  more 
ready  to  condemn  them,  than  he  was  to  con- 
demn himself.  It  is  sufficient  to  observe  that 
"watch  and  pray"  was  his  motto;  and  that  his 
life  was  a  practical  commentary  upon  the  words 
of  the  apostle,  "I  keep  under  my  body,  and 
bring  it  into  subjection,  lest  that  by  any  means, 
when  I  have  preached  to  others,  I  myself  should 
become  a  cast -away." 

May  the  surviving  members  of  the  bereaved 
family,  and  those  who  were  the  companions 
and  fellow-laborers  of  this  eminently  favored 
disciple  of  Jesus — of  whose  useful  and  protract- 
ed career  a  plain  and  faithful  account  has  been 
thus  attempted — together  with  all  that  shall  pe- 
ruse this  narrative,  "be  followers  of  him  who, 
through  faith  and  patience,  now  inherits  the 
promises,"  and,  like  him/'  receive  abundance 
of  grace  and  of  the  gift  of  righteousness,  and 
reign  in  life  by  Jesus  Christ."— To  whom  be 
glory  for  ever!     Amen. 


. 


